Masters Madrid Sets Record Viewership for Valorant Esports
Riot Games' VCT Masters Madrid has set new viewership records, with a whopping 3.1 million peak concurrent viewers tuning in. This historic figure was revealed through Riot's internal viewership metrics and marks a significant increase over previous tournaments.
The finals of the Masters Madrid alone attracted 1.6 million viewers at its peak, making it the most-watched Valorant esports event to date. These numbers do not account for all streaming services and exclude viewers from certain countries like China, indicating the actual global interest may be even higher.
The average viewership for the tournament was 1.1 million, doubling the numbers from last year's VCT Masters Tokyo. The inclusion of Chinese teams in every Valorant international event since last year likely contributed to this viewership boost.
Also Read: Riot Games Sets Smallest Prize Pool for Masters Madrid in Series History
Masters Madrid featured a lineup of top esports organizations, including Sentinels, Gen.G, Paper Rex, LOUD, and Karmine Corp. The success of the event underscores the effectiveness of Riot's expansion into China, the new tournament format, and the growing list of co-streamers.
While Valorant's numbers are impressive, they still trail behind Riot's flagship game, League of Legends, whose 2023 international tournaments drew up to 6.4 million viewers. Nevertheless, the achievements of VCT Masters Madrid highlight the growing popularity and global reach of Valorant esports.