As the largest tournament in the eSports industry with the prize pool heavier than any other event, The International has set a new record. Besides boosting its already impressive prize money with an additional $6 million, The International 2021 was also watched by a huge number of eSports fans.
According to data presented by Mejores Apuestas, the annual Dota 2 world championship hit more than 2.7 million peak viewers this year, 50% more than two years ago.
The International Viewership Jumped by 145% in Two Years
Over the years, The International has grown into the largest event in the eSports industry, bringing together the best teams and professional Dota 2 players competing for tens of millions of dollars worth of prize money.
Last year, the event was due to take place in Stockholm, Sweden, with the main event scheduled for August 18 to 23 in the Ericsson Globe Arena, which can hold up to 16,000 and was expected to sell out. However, the championship set to become the biggest esports tournament in history had to be postponed due to the pandemic.
After a year off due to COVID-19, the event took place in Romania earlier this month and attracted more viewers than ever.
In 2018, the annual Dota 2 world championship hit 1.21 million peak viewers, according to Valve`s official data. A year later, the number of peak viewers jumped to 1.97 million. However, after the pandemic-caused postponement, The International viewership increased by around 770,000 people worldwide, with the peak number of viewers rising to 2.74 million, or 145% more than three years ago.
Total Number of Watched Hours Hit 107.2 Million, 20% More Than in 2019
Besides setting a new record in a single-tournament prize pool and peak viewers, The International 2021 also witnessed a significant increase in the total number of streamed and watched hours.
In 2019, the famous eSports competition hit 88.8 million watched hours across all platforms, up from 64.2 million a year before that.
However, this year, the tournament set a new record. Statistics show the 2021 edition of the championship was watched for a total of 107.2 million hours across or 20% more than two years ago.
