LEC 2025 watch time falls even as broadcast hours increase

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This year, the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) sees several changes in format and broadcasting. Despite a slight dip in viewership, overall numbers remained largely stable. Yet beneath the surface, there were intriguing shifts in audience demographics and platform-specific viewership patterns.

LEC 2025 saw small declines across all major viewership metrics, including watch time and average and peak concurrent audiences, with drops ranging from 1 to 9%. Interestingly, even without Season Finals this year, total broadcast airtime was higher than in 2024, mainly thanks to the Spring Split’s format change, which moved regular-season games from best-of-1 to best-of-3.

Overall viewership remained stable, but some interesting shifts emerged. Notably, French-speaking audiences were more active than Spanish-speaking ones in terms of engagement. Two factors stand out. First, France’s flagship team, Karmine Corp, performed exceptionally well, winning the Winter Split and reaching the top four in both other splits, and drew more viewers in the process.

Second, and likely the main factor, was the absence of Ibai “Ibai” Llanos, a prominent League of Legends co-caster and KOI co-owner. KOI enjoyed a strong season, winning the Spring Split and reaching the Summer final, which qualified them for Worlds. While Ibai’s absence didn’t substantially affect total viewership, it likely influenced engagement within certain demographics. He is expected to return for Worlds coverage though, where his team will compete.

A small but notable change came in the number of livestreaming platforms covering the season, which jumped 125% from four to nine. Alongside familiar names like Twitch, YouTube, SOOP Korea, and CHZZK, newcomers such as Kick and TikTok joined the roster. Still, their impact remains minimal, collectively accounting for just 1% of total viewership.

Overall, while LEC 2025 experienced minor declines in key metrics, the season demonstrated resilience and adaptability. Shifts in audience engagement, demographic activity and platform coverage hint at evolving fan habits and the growing complexity of the circuit’s viewership.