The MPL Philippines Season 17 Regular Season has concluded, and viewership across the board has improved compared to the previous split, including an almost 17% rise in its average viewership (AV).
Viewership statistics from the MPL Philippines Season 17 Regular Season
The latest split of the MPL Philippines began on March 20, with the Regular Season running for almost two months. During this time, the most popular match came during the Week 1, Day 3 clash between Team Falcons PH and ONIC.PH, which reached 662,838 Peak Viewers (PV).
It was a nearly 30.37% increase from the Regular Season viewership witnessed at the MPL Philippines Season 16. What created so much hype for this game was that it marked a clash between one of the league's most consistent recent sides, in ONIC, and a roster in Falcons that contains many of the names from what was once the popular side in the region and the game.
Team Falcons entered the MPL Philippines scene by acquiring the slot and squad of the circuit's most popular side at that time, Blacklist International. The Saudi-based esports organization also signed the roster of reigning M5 world champion AP.Bren, whom the Falcons had previously partnered with.
While Team Falcons PH's results have not been decent, it still hasn't returned to the global championships. A top-two finish at the MPL Philippines Season 17 will go a long way in giving fans another glimpse of its roster, containing a few former world champions, returning to the international stage.
Its opening week clash with ONIC was the perfect way to kick off this journey. Falcons even won this series 2:1 to show that it is a serious contender for the crown this time around.
The increased interest at this top-tier regional Mobile Legends: Bang Bang tournament also saw the watch time shoot up by 19%, pointing to more sustained audience engagement through the Regular Season compared to the previous season. As a result, the average viewership also shot up by neatly 17%.
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Top matches from the MPL Philippines Season 17 Regular Season
The Team Falcons PH versus ONIC.PH clash was the only one to surpass 600,000 Peak Viewers. Keeping with its reputation as this Mobile Legends: Bang Bang league's most successful and popular modern side, ONIC was part of four of the five most popular games during the Regular Season.
Team Liquid PH, another recent addition to the league, courtesy of investment from Western esports organizations, had two appearances on this table. Its clashes with Aurora Gaming PH and ONIC reached between 520,000 and 599,000 PV.
MPL Philippines Season 17 Regular Season results and qualified teams
Team Liquid PH and Team Falcons PH topped the Regular Season table, losing one and two games, respectively, including one loss to each other. As a result, they advanced to the Upper Bracket Semifinals of the Playoffs.
ONIC.PH, Aurora Gaming PH, Omega PH Esports and Twisted Minds PH finished in the next four slots, advancing to the Playoffs Play-Ins. TNC Pro Team and AP.Bren, meanwhile, finished in the bottom two and were eliminated from the competition.
The Playoffs will begin on May 27 and run until May 31. ONIC.PH will face off against Aurora Gaming PH in the first Play-Ins series, while Omega PH Esports will duke it out with Twisted Minds PH in the other match. The winner of the first game will face Team Falcons PH, with the victor from the second encounter challenging Team Liquid PH in the Upper Bracket Semifinals.
