NRG vs. LOUD sets new viewership record at VCT LOCK//IN

The VCT LOCK//IN reached a new viewership record with 852,720 viewers at its peak during the quarter-final match between LOUD and NRG on Sunday.

Brazillian fans crowded every row of the 11,000-seat Ginásio do Ibirapuera indoor sporting arena as LOUD and NRG countered their rivalry once again in a knockout game of VCT LOCK/IN. The two teams have squared off against each other six times in the past two years at international competitions.

The two teams last squared off in the 2022 Valorant Champions championship game, where LOUD prevailed 3-1 over them. The championship match still holds the record for being the most-viewed game in history with a peak of more than 1.5 million viewers.

Similar results transpired in their most recent meeting in the quarterfinals of VCT LOCK/IN, with LOUD winning again in front of more than 850,000 online viewers. The match peaked at 852,720 online viewers, according to the analytics website Esports Charts, showing that hundreds of thousands of viewers tuned in. It broke the previous record held by the match between LOUD and KC, which had 588,848 peak viewers. 

Impressive viewership numbers for VCT LOCK/IN signal a new wave of popularity

Since its first day, the VCT LOCK/IN event in São Paulo has drawn a lot of attention from around the world. The event has sparked a new wave of enthusiasm among the esports audience, with teams like KOI, LOUD, and NRG, drawing a tonne of attention to their games. 

According to the statistics website Esports Charts, LOCK/IN attracted impressive viewership numbers on the first day of the competition, averaging 369,000 viewers. The Brazillian event’s audience ranks fourth in terms of both peak day-one viewership and average viewership when compared to prior Valorant esports tournaments.

According to Esports Charts, 538,000 viewers tuned in on day one for KOI vs. NRG, and 467,000 tuned in on day two for Karmine Corp vs. FunPlus Pheonix. Even though day one and day two viewership isn’t exactly at the same level, nobody expected a debut event to even come close to competing with a global championship in terms of popularity. 

Fans can anticipate more competitive games as the event advance to the Group Omega, where established teams like Sentinels, 100 Thieves, and ZETA DIVISION compete for the championship title. Team Liquid will play Team Secret in the opening round, and then NAVI and KRÜ Esports will square off in what is sure to be a thrilling encounter. It remains to be seen if the tournament will break further viewership records, but it is undeniable that the new franchised league has sparked more interest in Valorant esports.

Header: Riot Games