C9 vs. CLG playoff showdown sets new record for 2022 LCS Summer Split’s peak viewership numbers

This past weekend, the LCS received a much-needed boost to its ratings with the start of the 2022 Summer Split playoffs. And yesterday, the North American League of Legends league set a new high in regard to peak viewership for the Summer Split. 

During the five-game set between Cloud9 and CLG on Aug. 21, the LCS broadcast drew 202,920 viewers at the match’s peak, a new high for the Summer Split, according to esports viewership data site Esports Charts.

Those numbers surpassed a mark set the previous week, during the final day of the regular season. The final day of the regular season, Aug. 14, was a great day for LCS viewership, too, where the league brought in its highest numbers when it came to average viewership. On Twitch alone, nearly 140,000 average viewers tuned in to see the regular season wrap up last Sunday, Aug. 14. 

Those average viewership numbers decreased slightly on the platform during the first weekend of the playoffs. Only 103,000 average viewers tuned into the first round of postseason matches, according to viewership data site TwitchTracker.  

Still, the LCS’ viewership numbers are steadily climbing, with the end-of-season boost playing a major factor in the league’s total averages for the Summer Split. During the first four weeks of the split, the LCS only averaged about 80,000 viewers per broadcast, according to Esports Charts. Now, as the season moves into its playoff cycle, those average numbers are substantially increasing.  

Yesterday’s best-of-five between C9 and CLG capped off a packed day of playoff League around the world since the LPL and LCK also featured five-game series earlier in the day. The LCK’s semifinal series between T1 and DWG KIA brought in over 1 million concurrent viewers at its peak. 

This upcoming week, the LCS will have four straight days of playoff matches, starting on Thursday, Aug. 25. On Saturday, Aug. 27 and Sunday, Aug. 28, 100 Thieves and Evil Geniuses will make their respective Summer Split playoff debuts. Those two teams played the most-viewed match of the season when they drew over 387,000 concurrent viewers during the LCS Spring Split finals.