Counter Strike: Global Offensive is the biggest first-person shooter game in the world. An average of 550,000 viewers watch their favorite teams compete in major tournaments. Counter Strike: Global Offensive’s ELEAGUE is a league which is broadcasted on cable television. Not many games have been granted this privilege.
Yesterday, we saw the Brazilian side, SK Gaming, take home $500,000 after winning the final of ESL One Cologne. SK Gaming made quick work of Team Liquid in the final, by beating them in two games in a row and winning the event.
During ESL One Cologne, the number of viewers peaked at 850,000. These number might look impressive, however, during the previous Counter Strike event, the viewers peaked at 1.6 million. The viewership dropped by half compared to the previous major.
No one knows the reason behind the steep drop in viewership, however, there are many factors that might have had an impact on the number of viewers. Aside from a Counter Strike event, there were other major events taking place. Yesterday, we saw the clash between France and Portugal in the final of Euro 2016, where Portugal won the grand final despite playing without their captain and star player, Cristiano Ronaldo. The Wimbledon finals, British Formula 1 Grand Prix as well as the Tour De France took place over the weekend.
These are just a few of many reasons behind the drop in viewership for the Counter Strike event.
