Following the conclusion of IEM Rio, recent viewership data provides a fresh look at how the latest tier-1 event compares to the rest of the 2026 Counter-Strike calendar. 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. Benefiting from a highly concentrated broadcast and strong regional interest, IEM Rio achieved an average of 446,200 viewers to claim the second spot just behind IEM Krakow. Team Vitality’s Grand Slam chase probably also played a part in why IEM Rio was so successful this year.
Using data provided by Esports Charts, the following table ranks the major 2026 events based on their average viewership.
Tier-1 CS2 tournaments in 2026
| 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 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 recorded the highest average viewership. IEM Krakow, continuing the history of the Katowice events, drew an average of 463,800 viewers. IEM Rio is notable for its high concentration of viewers. Despite having the shortest broadcast time on the list at just under 51 hours, strong regional interest resulted in an average of 446,200 viewers and a peak of over 1.1 million.
Comparison of PGL events
The data also illustrates a difference between PGL’s two major events this year. PGL Cluj-Napoca secured third place with an average of over 321,000 viewers. This correlated with an attendee list featuring nine of the world’s top ten teams. PGL Bucharest, by comparison, recorded the lowest average viewership on the list. With scheduling conflicts and format choices limiting attendance to three top ten teams, the event averaged 140,010 viewers. The data suggests that matches between higher-ranked teams correlate with higher average viewership. This also underlines why tournament organizers have begun to reward the top teams for participating in their tournaments, with attendance fees being paid out to the top teams on the VRS ranking.
ESL Pro League viewership
The most significant adjustment when sorting by average viewership applies to ESL Pro League Season 23. Based on total hours watched, it placed fourth overall with over 26 million hours. However, this figure was accumulated over 144 hours of broadcast time. When calculating the average engagement, ESL Pro League drops to second-to-last. The Pro League format has been under scrutiny for some time, as ESL has tried various setups to improve the viewership of the tournament.
