The PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Global Invitational pulled in a ton of viewers last month, signalling the beginning of a serious investment in esports from the game’s developer.
PUBG Corp has revealed that the event had a peak of over 100 million concurrent viewers from across the world tuning in to watch the action. That includes broadcasts on multiple livestreaming platforms, including Twitch and YouTube.
“We are humbled by the enthusiasm from fans around the world to experience the pinnacle of PUBG competition at PGI 2018.” Changhan Kim, CEO of PUBG Corp, said in a press release. “With the foundation laid at this year’s world championship event in Berlin, we made major strides in proving the potential of PUBG esports on a global scale and aim to present an even more robust esports offering in 2019 as we roll out our continued vision.”
The tournament concluded on July 19 with South Korean team Gen.G GOLD crowned the Third Person Perspective (TPP) winner. Chinese team OMG won the First Person Perspective (FPP) portion of the event.
In addition to the two main tournaments, PUBG Corp also hosted a Charity showdown in Berlin where 40 content creators, such as Shroud and Ninja, teamed up with 40 pro players to compete for $1 million for a charity of their choosing. Team Papa, which included Evermore, Juankorea, and members of Gen.G GOLD, won the event.
With PGI over, PUBG Corp now has its sights on creating a new regional league for PUBG esports with a five-year plan currently underway. PUBG Corp plans to bring professional circuits to North America, Europe, Korea, and China to start in a new revenue-sharing program.
Specific details about the league, which teams will be taking part, and how revenue sharing will work are still to be announced. More information is expected to be revealed by the end of the year.
