Held at the esteemed Daejeon Convention Center, the LCK Summer final reached a peak viewership of 1,528,729 online spectators, according to data analyst Esports Charts. This remarkable achievement surpasses the previous record, which was established during Gen.G's triumphant 3-1 victory over T1 in the Spring final of 2023 (1,463,312).
In this latest encounter, Gen.G emerged victorious in just three games against T1, leaving fans to speculate on the potential peak viewership if the series had extended to four or five games.
The allure of T1 vs Gen.G matchups remains irresistible for League of Legends enthusiasts. These two teams have contested the last four LCK Finals, with three of those battles setting new records for peak viewership.
Notably, despite setting a fresh benchmark, the viewership for the 2023 LCK Summer split paled in comparison to the preceding split, experiencing a 10% reduction in hours watched and an average of 8% fewer viewers. This decrease can be attributed, in part, to the absence of T1 star Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok due to a wrist injury that sidelined him for a month.
Faker's triumphant return triggered a surge in LCK viewership
During Faker's hiatus from the LCK stage, viewership numbers stagnated. However, upon his return for the final stages of the Split, fans promptly re-engaged, with four of T1's playoff matches drawing over 1 million concurrent viewers. This marked the first instance in LCK history where more than two matches in a split surpassed the 1 million concurrent viewer threshold.
The LCK's remarkable viewership record coincides with South Korea's upcoming hosting of the 2023 World Championship, just two months away. Notably, last year's World Championship events attracted a staggering 5.1 million concurrent viewers, a peak viewership figure that ranks second in esports history, trailing only the Free Fire World Series 2021 Singapore's peak of 5.4 million.
Peak Viewership Highlights in LCK History:
- T1 vs Gen.G (LCK Summer 2023) – 1,528,729
- T1 vs Gen.G (LCK Spring 2023) – 1,463,312
- T1 vs KT Rolster (LCK Summer 2023) – 1,404,857
- T1 vs Gen.G (LCK Spring 2022) – 1,374,155
- T1 vs DK (LCK Summer 2021) – 1,315,849
