The League of Legends World Championship 2025 (Worlds 2025) wasn’t just a tournament; it was a historic commercial and viewership powerhouse that has solidified its place in the esports pantheon.

The event, which concluded with T1 mounting a stunning comeback to claim their third straight title and a record-breaking sixth overall, has been officially certified as a massive success. According to Esports Charts, the Grand Final against KT Rolster reached over 6.7 million peak concurrent viewers (excluding Chinese platforms), making Worlds 2025 the second most-popular esports event in history.

The event, which concluded with T1 mounting a stunning comeback to claim their third straight title and a record-breaking sixth overall, has been officially certified as a massive success. According to Esports Charts, the Grand Final against KT Rolster reached over 6.7 million peak concurrent viewers (excluding Chinese platforms), making Worlds 2025 the second most-popular esports event in history.

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The competition itself already carries some of the most prominent partners in the esports landscape such as Mercedes-Benz, Mastercard, Verizon, and Cisco. But this record-breaking viewership provided the perfect backdrop for a flurry of high-profile sponsorship deals we saw in the lead-up, including:

The Play-In Stage already delivered blazing stats:

2.5 million concurrent live viewers according to Esports Charts, setting a new record for both an opening day and for the Play-In stage overall.It surpasses the 2024 Play-In stage peak of 1.4 million viewers by nearly 75%.

Of course, Riot Games had a bit of a cheat code this year: scheduling a blockbuster match between the legendary T1 and China’s Invictus Gaming making a return to Worlds in the Play-Ins was a masterstroke. But numbers are numbers and the rest of the tournament showed consistency for viewership:

Top 10 Most Popular Esports Events of All Time
By peak viewers, excluding Chinese platforms, according to Esports Charts.

  • Worlds 2024 — 6,856,769;
  • Worlds 2025 — 6,737,568;
  • Worlds 2023 — 6,402,760;
  • Free Fire World Series 2021 Singapore — 5,415 990;
  • Worlds 2022 — 5,147,701.

With four LoL World Championships now occupying spots in the all-time top five most-watched events, the commercial appeal is undeniable. This deal flow underscores the immense value of a spot at Worlds, a stage that consistently delivers a global audience of millions.

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The Cold Reality: Why Brazil is Boiling Over

Seeing this explosive commercial activity makes one thing crystal clear: securing a spot at Worlds is everything. This is precisely why an entire region is in an uproar.

With the end of the LTA (League of Legends Championship of The Americas), the Brazil/South America (CBLOL) region has been left with only one spot at Worlds, while the LCS (North America) secured three. The local community is furious, and they have their reasons for that. Brazilian teams have recently proven their mettle, defeating NA squads like 100 Thieves at the LTA Championship and Cloud9 at the Esports World Cup 2025.

The power of these Worlds-driven commercial moves highlights what’s at stake. This isn’t just about competitive pride; it’s a significant business disadvantage. 

For now, Brazilian LoL is not only limited to one spot but had also faced a tough run on the Worlds’ main stage. This undoubtedly launches the region into another period of “rethinking methods.” Thankfully, CBLOL is fueled by one of the most passionate fanbases in the world, which will be crucial for its rebound.

This edition of Heat Map shows how Worlds can alone superheat one zone while leaving another out in the cold.

This analysis was first published in the Heat Map newsletter on 12 November 2025. For early access to our analysis and more exclusive content, subscribe to The Esports Radar’s newsletters via this link.

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