The Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 produced a total economic impact of over $102m for Austin, Texas, according to an independent study, alongside setting new global viewership records for the title.
The economic assessment, conducted by AngelouEconomics, was published by tournament organiser BLAST. It states that 65% of the event’s attendees, equating to 30,248 people, travelled from outside Texas. The report also credits the tournament with generating $46m in media value for partners and over 37 billion brand impressions globally.
The event was delivered in partnership with Live Nation Entertainment, C3 Presents, and the Austin Sports Commission, and also attracted initiatives like the Global Esports Industry Week, held along with the event.
The commercial impact follows the tournament’s previously reported success in attracting a global audience. The Austin Major became the most-watched Counter-Strike tournament in history, with total hours watched exceeding 76 million. The grand final between Team Vitality and MongolZ peaked at over 1.77 million concurrent viewers.
For context, last year’s BLAST Premier Spring Final in London was estimated to have delivered a £30m ($40m) economic impact to its host city.
The demonstrated value is driving increased competition among destinations to attract such events. Organisations like Visit Raleigh are actively formulating strategies to position their cities as hubs for forthcoming nation-versus-nation competition, such as the Esports Nations Cup and potential Olympic Esports Games.
As competition increases, The Esports Radar interviewed Jascha Braeker, Senior Partnerships Development Manager for Host Cities at the ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), earlier this year to explain the criteria used by another leading tournament operator for choosing a location.
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