TL;DR
- LCS Monday Night League viewership dropped 31% from week one to week two, averaging only 45,570 viewers
- Monday scheduling conflicts with work/school routines and international timezone differences limit audience reach
- Even premium matchups like Team Liquid vs TSM failed to attract significant viewership on weeknights
- European and Asian fans face impractical viewing times (2:30 AM and 10:30 AM respectively)
- Successful esports scheduling requires balancing audience convenience with content distribution goals
The League of Legends Championship Series’ innovative Monday Night League initiative has encountered significant viewership challenges in its early implementation phase. This scheduling experiment represents a bold attempt to expand the traditional esports viewing calendar beyond weekend-centric programming.
For the 2020 LCS Spring Split, organizers introduced a three-day weekly schedule spanning Saturday, Sunday, and Monday broadcasts. The strategic objective behind adding Monday programming was to capture new audience segments and establish consistent viewing patterns throughout the week, but initial metrics suggest the approach may be counterproductive for audience engagement.
Despite featuring marquee matchups that typically draw substantial audiences, including the week one showdown between Team Liquid and Team SoloMid followed by FlyQuest versus Dignitas in week two, Monday Night League achieved only a 73,000 viewer peak during its second week of operation.
According to detailed analytics from Twitch Tracker, the average concurrent viewership settled at 45,570 across the 2.8-hour broadcast duration. This represents a concerning 31% decline from the premiere episode, which attracted approximately 106,000 viewers despite similar competitive quality.
For context, traditional weekend LCS broadcasts typically generate viewership numbers 3-4 times higher than these Monday figures, indicating a fundamental disconnect between scheduling strategy and audience availability patterns.
While disappointing viewership numbers naturally concern stakeholders, the underlying causes are readily apparent to industry analysts. For North American domestic viewers, committing to extended esports viewing sessions on Monday evenings presents multiple practical obstacles.
Even when premium competitive matchups are scheduled, many potential viewers lack the energy or availability to engage with League of Legends content after completing work or school obligations. The Monday time slot competes with family responsibilities, household chores, and other weekday evening activities that typically take priority.
LCS commissioner Chris Greeley explained to the Washington Post that Monday Night League was specifically designed with North American audience patterns in mind.
“The overwhelming feeling was, let’s carve out a space where nobody else is. We can start to create some habits right alongside our fans. Get home from work, get home from school and have something to tune into on Monday nights instead of the void we have now,” he stated, highlighting the strategic intention behind the scheduling innovation.
Unfortunately, current evidence suggests that League of Legends viewing doesn’t align with most people’s Monday evening priorities or entertainment selection processes.
The international dimension compounds these viewership challenges significantly. European enthusiasts must remain awake until 2:30 AM local time to catch the opening match of Monday Night League broadcasts. For Korean and other Asian markets, the scheduling translates to 10:30 AM the following day, when most potential viewers are engaged with work or educational commitments.
This timing effectively excludes substantial international audience segments that traditionally contribute to LCS viewership numbers. The scheduling conflict illustrates the delicate balance esports organizers must strike between domestic convenience and global accessibility.
Successful esports scheduling requires meticulous analysis of audience availability patterns across multiple regions. Alternative approaches might include adjusting broadcast times to accommodate broader international windows or focusing weekend programming on premium matchups while using weekdays for developmental or academy league content that appeals to dedicated core audiences with more flexible viewing habits.
Action Checklist
- Analyze your target audience’s typical weekly schedule and availability patterns
- Conduct timezone impact assessment for international viewer accessibility
- Compare viewership metrics across different days and time slots
- Test alternative scheduling with less critical matchups before committing premium content
- Implement viewer feedback mechanisms to understand scheduling preferences
No reproduction without permission：Games Guides Website » After 2 weeks, LCS Monday Night League is a viewership flop Analyzing why LCS Monday Night League viewership declined and strategies for esports scheduling optimization