The esports industry is incredibly diverse when it comes to competition formats — some tournaments last only a few days, while others, like franchise leagues, can stretch over several months. So how can advertisers and sponsors figure out which events offer the best return on investment? That’s where Media Value, a new metric recently introduced by Esports Charts, comes in handy.
Media Value estimates the cost of a 1% on-screen banner for the tournament’s entire broadcast duration, providing a standardized view of how valuable tournaments can be for sponsors. The metric takes into account various demographics with language- and region-specific CPMs, making it a practical benchmark for overviews of different events. It is important to note that these calculations are based on 2025 CPM data, meaning the values for older tournaments are current-day estimations.
Q3 2025 was packed with major esports tournaments, including the biggest seasonal events for Dota 2 and Valorant. Yet, the top spot by Media Value didn’t go to a world championship — it went to Korea’s franchise league, LCK 2025 Season, for League of Legends. Based on the new metric, the league’s estimated Media Value topped $37 million. While that number isn’t meant to be taken literally, it serves as a useful benchmark for comparing the LCK 2025 Season to other tournaments in the ranking.
The impressive Media Value of the LCK 2025 Season stems from the league’s steady popularity — it kept audiences highly engaged throughout the entire season. Interestingly, unlike most other tournaments in the ranking, Korean turned out to be the most valuable broadcast language by Media Value, contributing nearly half of the league’s total figure.
Rounding out the top three were the Mid-Season Invitational 2025 for League of Legends and The International 2025 for Dota 2. Despite their many differences, both tournaments ended up with nearly identical Media Value scores. MSI 2025 was hosted in Canada, while TI 2025 took place in Germany — different regions, time zones, audiences, and formats. Still, in terms of Media Value, both events proved to be equally strong opportunities for advertisers.
The Valorant Champions 2025 served as the premier event of the Valorant season, and its estimated Media Value reached about $17.7 million. While this number isn’t meant to be taken at face value, it highlights a clear comparison — the tournament’s Media Value was roughly half that of the LCK 2025 Season. Insights like these help potential sponsors make smarter decisions when planning and distributing their advertising budgets.
The Media Value metric helps brands and investors pinpoint the most promising partnership opportunities in esports. However, it’s important to compare MV scores with the actual cost of ad packages for each tournament. For instance, tournament X might show twice the Media Value of tournament Y — but if ad placements for X cost five times more, Y becomes the smarter and more cost-efficient choice for sponsorship.
Closing out the top five is IEM Cologne 2025, a premier Counter-Strike event that took place in Germany over the summer. Its Media Value was almost on par with the Valorant Champions 2025, despite the two tournaments having very different positions within their respective esports ecosystems. This makes for an interesting comparison when looking at the ongoing rivalry between Counter-Strike and Valorant.
The Media Value metric offers a new way to assess the impact of esports broadcasts, giving sponsors clearer insight into the real worth of tournaments. While it doesn’t replace traditional metrics, it adds a fresh perspective on how various leagues and championships connect with audiences and brands. Looking ahead, Media Value could become a key tool for evaluating the investment potential of esports events around the globe.
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