IEM Cologne 2022 became most-watched non-major in CS:GO history

The recent Intel Extreme Masters in Cologne has set a new viewership record among the CS:GO competitions! The hype around the world’s top two CS:GO teams Natus Vincere and FaZe Clan was so high that the match was watched by more than a million viewers at the same time! 

Intel Extreme Masters Season 17 was held in Cologne, Germany and for the first time in three years, the event was placed in a venue with both online and offline viewers. The previous tournaments were held only in online mode as it was impossible to host them with a real crowd due to COVID-19 restrictions and safety measures. 

In total, 24 teams from all over the world performed in Cologne, with their seedings determined by their previous performances. While some teams had to start their way in Play-ins, some advanced to Group Stage right away. Eventually, MOUZ, Astralis, Team Liquid, Natus Vincere, FaZe Clan and Movistar Riders fought their ways to the playoffs. What’s more, this marks the first time that Movistar Riders climbed this high at an S-tier tournament and they finished in the 3th-4th place. 

The event’s finale saw a battle of Natus Vincere against FaZe Clan— the clash we’ve seen in the grand finals of multiple previous competitions. The match resembled a ping-pong, as the full five maps were played. In the end, FaZe Clan proved to be stronger and claimed the prestigious trophy. Even though the final dragged on to late night, the viewership of the brawl was nothing short of incredible. 

IEM Cologne 2022 viewership statistics and a new record 

According to esports viewership analytics company Esports Charts, IEM Cologne 2022 was during 93 hours of airtime watched by 276,000 viewers on average. The number of Peak Viewers, i.e. the maximum amount of concurrent spectators at one point, reached the mark of 1.2 million. Expectedly, the record was reached during the Grand Final match between Natus Vincere and FaZe Clan. With this viewership mark, IEM Cologne 2022 became the most watched non-major CS:GO tournament of all time. 

Moreover, IEM Cologne 2022 entered the top 5 most popular CS:GO esports competitions, including majors. The first place belongs to PGL Major Stockholm 2021, which gathered 2.7 million Peak Viewers, while the second spot is owned by the recent PGL Major Antwerp 2022 with 2.1 million spectators at the peak of the broadcast.

Despite the fact that CS:GO is a ten-year-old game, its esports broadcasts still gather thousands and even millions of viewers. Based on that, we can conclude that the game remains one of the most popular esports titles that is interesting to many fans around the world.