Following the conclusion of BLAST Rivals Spring 2026, fresh viewership data provides an updated look at the tier 1 Counter-Strike circuit. Vitality went all the way once again, lifting their fifth trophy of the season in a highly anticipated event.
While total hours watched is a frequently used metric to gauge tournament popularity, it heavily favors events with extended broadcast schedules. To properly evaluate viewer retention, average viewership offers a more accurate perspective. By dividing total hours watched by total airtime, we can determine the average number of concurrent viewers.
With its compact 37 hours and 45 minutes of airtime, BLAST Rivals Spring 2026 enters the middle of the pack for the year. Using data provided by Esports Charts, the following table ranks the major 2026 events based on their average viewership.
Most-watched events of the year in CS2
| Tournament | Average Viewers | Hours Watched | Peak Viewers | Airtime |
| IEM Krakow 2026 | ~463,800 | 40,272,989 | 1,387,966 | 86 hours 50 min |
| IEM Rio 2026 | ~446,200 | 22,681,816 | 1,136,343 | 50 hours 50 min |
| PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 | ~321,340 | 26,939,381 | 908,945 | 83 hours 50 min |
| BLAST Open Spring 2026 | ~298,470 | 27,409,347 | 822,023 | 91 hours 50 min |
| BLAST Rivals Spring 2026 | ~267,180 | 10,086,050 | 819,610 | 37 hours 45 min |
| BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 | ~213,960 | 18,792,675 | 796,345 | 87 hours 50 min |
| ESL Pro League Season 23 | ~181,630 | 26,260,165 | 754,062 | 144 hours 35 min |
| PGL Bucharest 2026 | ~140,010 | 10,127,468 | 320,718 | 72 hours 20 min |
Top Performing Events: Krakow and Rio
IEM Krakow and IEM Rio remain at the top of the list with the highest average viewership. IEM Krakow continues the history of the Katowice events by drawing an average of 463,800 viewers. IEM Rio sits closely behind. Benefiting from strong regional interest and a condensed schedule, IEM Rio achieved an average of 446,200 viewers and a peak of over 1.1 million.
The Impact of BLAST Rivals Spring 2026
The newly added BLAST Rivals Spring 2026 slots into fifth place overall. Vitality’s run to their fifth trophy of the season generated a peak viewership of 819,610. Because the tournament had a very short broadcast window of just under 38 hours, its 10 million total hours watched translates to a highly respectable average of 267,180 viewers. This highlights how shorter, action-packed events can maintain strong minute-to-minute engagement without needing the massive overall hours of a longer tournament.
The Context of PGL and ESL Events
The data continues to illustrate a difference between PGL’s two major events this year. PGL Cluj-Napoca holds third place with an average of over 321,000 viewers, aided by an attendee list featuring nine of the world’s top ten teams. PGL Bucharest recorded the lowest average viewership on the list at 140,010 viewers, suffering from scheduling conflicts and an absence of top-tier rosters.
ESL Pro League Season 23 also provides a clear example of why average viewership matters. Based on total hours watched, it placed high on the list with over 26 million hours. However, this figure was accumulated over a massive 144 hours of broadcast time. When calculating the average engagement, ESL Pro League drops near the bottom. This indicates that a longer broadcast duration often waters down the minute-to-minute viewership, as audiences tune in primarily for crucial playoff matches rather than the extensive group stages.
