The MLG Columbus Major was good for fans of CS:GO, very good. Activision Blizzard announced Tuesday that the event broke the record for the largest number of people watching a CS:GO event, surpassing the 1.3 million concurrent viewers for the 2015 Major in Cologne, Germany.
Activision Blizzard announces new CS:GO viewer records following MLG Columbus
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
Across web and mobile platforms viewers watched a total of 45 million hours of live broadcasts with 1.6 million people watching CS:GO at MLG Columbus between March 30 and April 3. The numbers are promising for fans of non-moba esports, as CS:GO continues to be the most popular game outside of League of Legends and Dota 2 for professional play.
“Last year, more than 225 million people watched competitive gaming, and the passion, engagement and size of this audience only continues to grow,” said Mike Sepso, Senior Vice President of Activision Blizzard Media Networks and Major League Gaming (MLG) co-founder. “As this year’s CS:GO Major numbers show, Activision Blizzard Media Networks’ commitment to broadcasting premium content and creating incredible events is resonating with players and fans around the world.”
The Columbus event was the first time CS:GO has held its major in North America, and the results are promising for future events stateside. Activision Blizzard has plans to make esports a priority in the coming years with the establishment of a Media Networks division, which aims to be the ESPN of esports. It remains to be seen how or if a network like that would work without the involvement of Riot and Valve.
The next premier event in the CS:GO schedule will be the $1 million ESL: One in Cologne beginning on July 5. If you haven’t seen any professional CS:GO or don’t understand why so many people love it, then just watch this.
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