Europe dominates concurrent viewership over North America in the 2024 Rainbow Six Leagues

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The Europe League 2024 - Stage 1 matches concluded on April 23rd. The Rainbow Six Siege tournament attracted over 36.2K Peak Viewers, second only to the Brazilian league in terms of viewership. The outcome could have been different if the media participants of the European league had performed better in the playoffs.

Nine teams competed in the Europe League 2024 - Stage 1, vying for three direct slots in the BLAST R6 Major Manchester 2024 tournament. The French Team BDS excelled in the group stage, securing the top spot in the overall standings and effortlessly earning a slot in the playoffs. Alongside Team BDS, Into The Breach and Team Secret also secured spots in the tournament. The remaining league participants will compete in the Last Chance Qualifiers, scheduled from April 29th to May 1st.

The Europe League 2024 - Stage 1 matches generated 1.49 million Hours Watched, a 26% increase compared to the European division last year. This growth is primarily attributed to a change in format and the difference in broadcast hours — Europe League 2024 - Stage 1 matches lasted 20 hours longer. However, the average viewership for Europe Stage 1 broadcasts decreased by 8.6% compared to last year, with peak viewership declining by 19%.

The decrease in viewership can be attributed to the composition of the finalists. This year, the slots were taken by less media-exposed organizations, whereas more popular teams like Fnatic and G2 Esports did not perform as well and failed to reach the decisive matches. This thesis is supported by the list of the most popular matches of the tournament. Leading this indicator is the series between Fnatic and G2 Esports, played on the first day. Four out of the top five most popular matches of the tournament featured G2 Esports, further confirming the popularity of this organization. The second place went to the match between Team BDS and WYLDE — this game was played immediately after the G2 versus Fnatic match, effectively taking away its audience.

Unfortunately for G2 Esports fans, the team lost in the first round of the playoffs and finished this tournament only in fifth place. If G2 had progressed further, they could have improved the overall viewership statistics of the event.

Most Popular Regional Leagues 2024 Stage 1 by Peak Viewers

The Regional Leagues 2024 - Stage 1 matches are gradually nearing their conclusion. Winners and medalists have already been determined in the main regions: Europe, Brazil, and North America. LATAM and Asia are still completing their regional stages. Among all the leagues played, the Brazil League 2024 - Stage 1 gathered the largest audience — 45.4K Peak Viewers. This is more than what the Brazilian league had in the spring of 2023. Brazil is currently experiencing a rise compared to other regions in the Rainbow Six professional scene. This is largely attributed to the success of Brazilian teams in international tournaments such as the Six Invitational 2024.