Esports viewership in 2025 once again proved that sheer scale doesn’t always come from global finals alone. While international championships still dominate headlines, this year highlighted the immense power of regional leagues, mobile esports, and long-format competitions in driving record-breaking audience numbers.
From historic watch-time milestones in Korea’s League of Legends ecosystem to massive peak viewership surges fueled by Mobile Legends in Southeast Asia, 2025 delivered one of the most revealing snapshots yet of where competitive gaming truly thrives. Below is a breakdown of the most watched esports events of 2025, measured by Hours Watched and Peak Concurrent Viewers.
Most Watched Esports Events of 2025 by Hours Watched
When it comes to total watch time, consistency and longevity were the biggest drivers of success in 2025.
LCK 2025 Season Dominates Total Viewership
The LCK 2025 Season emerged as the most-watched esports competition of the year, generating over 161 million Hours Watched. Korea’s League of Legends league adopted a new annual format in 2025, replacing the traditional Winter, Spring, and Summer splits. Running from April through late September, the extended season played a major role in its record-breaking performance—surpassing even the World Championship.
League of Legends World Championship Takes Second Place
The 2025 League of Legends World Championship ranked second with 136.4 million Hours Watched. While still one of the biggest esports events globally, its total watch time declined compared to 2024 due to a shorter broadcast schedule.
Mobile Legends Regional Leagues Continue to Thrive
MPL Indonesia Season 15 and Season 16 claimed third and fourth place, reinforcing Mobile Legends: Bang Bang as one of the most-watched esports titles worldwide. In terms of raw audience engagement, these regional leagues continue to rival—and often outperform—global championships in other esports.
Strong Showings from CS2 and Dota 2
Both Counter-Strike 2 Majors made the top 10, with the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 slightly edging out the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 in total watch time. Meanwhile, The International 2025 recorded noticeable year-over-year growth, signaling renewed momentum for Dota 2’s flagship tournament.
Top 10 Esports Events of 2025 by Hours Watched
- LCK 2025 Season – 161.8M
- 2025 World Championship (LoL) – 136.4M
- MPL Indonesia Season 15 – 113.3M
- MPL Indonesia Season 16 – 101.3M
- BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 – 76.1M
- Mid-Season Invitational 2025 – 75.3M
- StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 – 71.3M
- The International 2025 – 63.2M
- MLBB Mid Season Cup 2025 – 50.3M
- LCK Cup 2025 – 48.2M
Most Popular Esports Events of 2025 by Peak Viewers
When measuring Peak Concurrent Viewership, the story of 2025 becomes even more focused.
Only League of Legends and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang events reached the top 10 by peak viewers, highlighting the continued dominance of Riot Games and Moonton titles. Unlike 2024, no Counter-Strike or Valorant events cracked the highest tier in 2025.
League of Legends World Championship Leads Peak Viewership
The 2025 World Championship was the most popular esports event of the year by peak viewers, reaching 6.75 million concurrent viewers during the grand final showdown between T1 and KT Rolster. While it did not surpass the all-time record set in 2024, it still outperformed every other tournament held in 2025 by a wide margin.
Mobile Legends Esports Sets New Records
Several Mobile Legends events posted all-time peak viewership records, including:
- MPL Indonesia Season 15
- MPL Philippines Season 15
- MLBB Mid Season Cup 2025
- ESL Snapdragon Pro Series: Mobile Masters 2025
These results underscore Southeast Asia’s growing influence on the global esports ecosystem.
Notably, the MLBB World Championship did not take place in 2025. Its successor, the M7 World Championship, is scheduled for January 2026 and is expected to re-enter the top rankings next year.
Top 10 Esports Events of 2025 by Peak Viewers
- 2025 World Championship (LoL) – 6.75M
- MPL Indonesia Season 15 – 4.13M
- Mid-Season Invitational 2025 – 3.45M
- MPL Indonesia Season 16 – 3.11M
- MLBB Mid Season Cup 2025 – 3.07M
- ESL Snapdragon Pro Series: Mobile Masters 2025 – 2.77M
- LCK 2025 Season – 2.03M
- LCK Road to MSI 2025 – 1.97M
- LCK Cup 2025 – 1.91M
- MPL Philippines Season 15 – 1.80M
