The International 2023 Qualifiers for Western Europe and Southeast Asia see steep viewership declines compared to last year
The last two regional leagues in the Dota Pro Circuit — Southeast Asia and Western Europe — that serve as domestic qualifiers for The International 2023 have ended. As seen with most other regional leagues this year, the number of viewers during the broadcasts of these two competitions fell significantly.
Western Europe Qualifier viewership statistics
This tournament has some pretty heavy names, including OG, Entity, Nigma Galaxy, and Team Secret, and a trio of these teams formed the podium of the most popular sides list. There were two slots up for grabs at The International 2023 from here, and it was Entity and Quest Esports who booked their tickets for Seattle.
The International 2023 - Western Europe Qualifier registered 216K Peak Viewers during the Day 4 Lower Bracket Quarterfinals between OG and Quest Esports, which the former won 2:1. It also hit 5.4M Hours Watched and 103K Average Viewers over 52 hours of airtime, with Quest Esports being the most watched side thanks to its long-winded route to qualification.
Comparing this competition to last year's iteration, it is clear that there was a significant fall in viewership numbers. It didn't help that the prominent sides fizzled out pretty early, which was not the case in 2022, where the most followed sides ended up filling the podium places.
There should have been more jeopardy this time considering there were only two slots available instead of the three from last year, but with the up and down displays of the most followed sides, audience interest dipped. New rosters and fresh faces among many participating teams added to the woes, and this has been the case across the regional leagues.
Southeast Asia Qualifier viewership statistics
Happening simultaneously with its Western Europe brethren, this tournament had names like Blacklist International, BOOM Esports, and Army Geniuses. Even though it had more participants than the latter, there was one slot available for TI 2023, which went to Team SMG, who beat Blacklist International 3:0 in the Grand Final.
The International 2023 - Southeast Asia Qualifier recorded 144K Peak Viewers during the summit clash between Team SMG and Blacklist International. The latter's fame among fans can be adjudged from the fact that it appeared in all five of the most popular games from the event, helping it top the corresponding table for teams as well.
This competition also hit 2.4M Hours Watched and 43K Average Viewers over an airtime of 57 hours. This was much less than the 2022 edition, which can be attributed mainly to the absence of massive names like T1 and Talon Esports.
T1, one of the most promising Dota 2 teams at the time, disbanded its roster at the end of 2022 after some poor performance that culminated with losses to Team Secret and Vici Gaming in the Playoffs of The International 2022: Last Chance Qualifiers. Talon Esports, meanwhile, qualified for the season-ending extravaganza as the eighth-best team in terms of DPC Points.
It also didn't help that Blacklist International, easily the most followed side at this qualifier event, failed to seal its berth at the T1 2023. New rosters and players participating also lent it an unknown feel, meaning viewers had to get accustomed to them as and when they were playing their games, and all this led to a drastic drop in the viewership stats of this tournament.
Comparing all the TI 2023 qualifier events held by Peak Viewers and Hours Watched
Looking at the overall picture, most of the qualifiers failed to meet the numbers set in 2022, with the exception of North America. This event attracted 51% more Peak Viewers in 2023 thanks to the involvement of Russian-speaking community casters and B8 Esports, with four Ukrainians on its roster.
China, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, South America, and Southeast Asia all saw decreases in viewership due to various factors. China suffered a lot due to match-fixing allegations made at the start of the season, while the other regions, apart from the reasons listed above, also saw issues like a lesser number of community casters.
The International 2023, the ultimate Dota 2 competition to crown its world champion, will be held at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, USA, from October 14 to October 29. Last year's event was by far the most successful in the discipline's history, and Valve will hope that 2023 brings even more success.
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