Professional League of Legends is the third most popular sport to watch in China (behind Soccer and Basketball), with millions of people tuning in to watch Worlds every year. China is the nation with the most League Of Legends players in the world due to their effective advertising and publicity. Its League Of Legends’ pro scene currently has some of the best players and teams in the world. China’s first ever Worlds win occurred in 2018 with over 200 million people from China watching the final match, where Invictus Gaming (a Chinese team) would win and take the title of the 2018 Worlds Champion 2018. It was reported in 2019 that approximately 104 million people from China watched FunPlus Phoenix (another Chinese team) win Worlds as well, and it is expected that 2020 Worlds will reach a similar number of people in China. Since 2018, Chinese teams have been dominating the pro scene, as they’ve now held the Worlds title for two consecutive years.
Despite COVID-19’s effect on the world in 2020, Riot Games (League’s parent company) plans to host the annual League of Legends tournament, Worlds, during September in China without delay. No information has been publicly released on how many people will be allowed to watch Worlds in the Shanghai Pudong Stadium (上海体育场 – shàng hǎi tǐ yù chǎng), but the stadium is a large arena, able to hold up to 33,765 people. However, with concerns about safety due to COVID-19, Riot Games has only released the statement that they are taking precautions to ensure everyone’s safety and that the event will still go on. It can be expected that face masks will become a requirement during the event and face scans will be conducted on all attendees.
Some of my favorite League of Legends players are from China, like Tian (高天亮 – gāo tiān liàng) and JackeyLove (喻文波 – yù wén bō). While I will not be able to watch Worlds in Pudong Stadium this year, I will still be watching every game I can from home. Luckily for all League of Legends fans, League of Legends 2020 will also be live streamed on Twitch, a live streaming platform, and the official League of Legends website, with professional casters narrating the games to make sure that none of the fans miss the action. Where will you be watching League of Legends Worlds this year? Let us know in the comments below!
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I really enjoyed this article and I really understood your point of view on everything. Thank you
Wow this is so cool! I know League of Legends is a popular esport, but I didn’t know that it was the third most popular sport watched in China. Another thing I learned is that Worlds will be taking place at 上海体育场. This event sounds very exciting as hundreds of millions of people watch, I might join on a stream myself and experience the hype of this year’s World’s Championship.
Damn, this is really sick. Despite sports matches such as basketball and soccer being canceled all over the world, it’s shocking how this huge video game event is taking over the consumership in China by storm. It’s especially interesting how the stadium holds over 33,000 audience members, which is comparable to most large sports arenas in the US! Although I’ve never played League of Legends, I may watch this year just to experience the vast impact it has. Awesome work, Kyle.
Wow this is really interesting!! I don’t play League of Legends personally, but I have many friends that do, and I know how serious it can get sometimes. I was really surprised by the fact that it was the third most popular sport to watch in China. It is so cool to see a different form of a sport and still have people enjoy it. Although League of Legends is still a mystery to me, i might watch the tournament because it sounds really interesting. Thanks for sharing Kyle.
this was a super interesting article! the fact that league is the third most popular sport to watch in china was super shocking to me. i know a lot of people who take league really seriously and tell me how hard the game is, but never knew how popular it really was. i love how you listed background information about league and its best teams and players! the arena looks so cool, to be honest i would also go to watch the tournament (if i had money and there was no covid).
This is amazing! I had no idea the League of Legends was so popular in China. The arenas look so cool! I’m glad the League it Legends is taking place in spite of the pandemic, it something fun and exciting that everyone could use right now! This article makes me want to watch the tournament. I love how accessible it is, as it is streamed on the League of Legends website and Twitch.
Wow, I knew that e-sport competitions were popular, but I never knew that the professional League of Legends is the third most-watched sport in China! I found it absolutely astounding that approximately 104 million people tuned in just to watch the professional League and that only counting China! It is such a shame that people cannot watch the game in person in 上海体育场。I would imagine watching the game online and in-person is a whole different experience. It would be so cool if I had the opportunity to watch a professional league of legends game in person! Since it’s streaming online this year, I might just join to watch the stream on Twitch!
Wow this is actually so cool to read about. I personally don’t play video games but I do know of it’s reach and influence on many people’s daily lives. I’ve also heard of people making their careers and fortunes off of e-sports which is incredible. To see the extent of it though, is insanely eye opening. The fact that it is the third most popular sport to watch in China is mind blowing. Thanks for writing the article!
Wow, this is such an interesting article! I’ve always known that video games were extremely popular all throughout the world because I have many friends who love the game, but I never would have thought that the third most popular sport to watch in China was Professional League of Legends. It is so sad to see how many events and other activities have been affected or even cancelled because of the recent pandemic. Thus, I am so glad, on behalf of my video-game loving friends, that people will still be able to compete, as well as watch, this competition! After reading this article, I feel inspired to find out more about League of Legends, and maybe I’ll even learn how to play!
What?! I can’t believe that League of Legends is the third most-watched sport in China! While I don’t really play league, I find it really cool that an e-sport is this popular in a country. Not only that, but the fact that approximately 104 million people watch professional League is truly amazing, and it really shows how popular this game really is. I never expected a video game could be this mainstream. I can’t imagine what other e-sports titles will become this popular in the future.
I think with the way people are handling video games, they will eventually carry the same weight as someone that plays regular sports due to the strategy that certain video games involve such as League of Legends. What is was surprised about is how popular e-sports is getting in China to the point where it is the third most watched sport. With the Covid-19 pandemic I think that E- Sports will surge in popularity due to the remote nature that can be incorporated with video games. I am amazed by the size of the stadium and I hope this concept is elaborated on even more.
Wow, thanks for sharing this essay on professional League of Legends! I knew that it was popular but didn’t know its extent. I can’t believe there are the most league players in China and that it is the third most popular sport to watch in China. Although I understand its appeal, it is shocking that Riot games still plans to host the annual League of Legends tournament this month. Being held in a stadium holding over 33,000 people, I hope biosecure measures are taken to ensure safety. Overall, thanks for informing me on a topic I wouldn’t of known about otherwise.
It is interesting how League of Legends is growing to be the third most watched sport, as it reflects how high of a status video games are being taken at the professional level. I never knew that video games were this popular. and this is just another example of how covid 19 is affecting people around the world. I am interested more to learn how the League of Legends world cup will be held in the future, and how the fans respond to these changes. While I do not play league of legends, I understand the basic concepts surrounding the game, and am starting to see how the game is taken to the global scale.
Almost all of my gamer friends played league of legends during one point in their gamer period but I never really had a great interest in this topic. I did not know that in China, they considered playing League to be a sport, this kind of confuses me because I don’t think that it should be called a sport. Also, I did not know that the chinese teams have gotten the world title for two consecutive years. I also didn’t know that Twitch would stream this event, I think it is great that they are sharing this event with other players around the world.
I knew that League of Legends was a popular computer game around the world, but I didn’t know that it was the third most popular sport to watch in China. Furthermore, I find it really amazing that such a large building like Shanghai’s Pudong Stadium, which I learned can hold up to 33,675 people, is dedicated to a League of Legends event. Also, it’s pretty cool that China has been holding the Worlds title for an esport considering China’s large emphasis on education. Overall, with the plethora of sports events being cancelled due to COVID-19, it’s great to see that esports events are still able to thrive and provide enjoyment for everyone during these times.
This is amazing. I new League of Legends was popular, but I didn’t know it could generate hundreds of millions of viewers with just one torunament. This really opens my eyes to how much the esports community has grown. I’ve never played league nor will I ever, but I know a ton of people who are addicted to the game. I personally don’t think they should have live viewers,but I understand why they would want them, as the live crowd is what produces a lot of hype during the event and makes it more interesting to watch. I’m still wondering one thing though. A huge tournament like this should have hefty prize money. Any idea what the prize pool is?
I also like playing this game with my friends. I thought that Fun Plus Phoenix only won worlds once and didn’t in 2018. Anyways, I really enjoyed reading this article and learned more about how the eSports community has adapted even through COVID-19. I who is going to win worlds this year though!
This is amazing! I had no idea the League of Legends was so popular in China. League being the third most popular sport to watch in china was super shocking to me. I play league of legends a lot with my friends so this was a very nice article to read. It would be so cool on the off chance that I had the chance to watch an expert association of legends game face to face! Since it’s streaming on the web this year, I may very well join to watch the stream on Twitch!
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This is really cool. I played a bit of League of Legends but I didn’t know that the competitive scene was so large! This is really eye-opening and shows how much this esports community has grown. I think it’s great that so many people are so passionate about this kind of thing and the hype that is produced in this type of event makes it really interesting to watch. I was wondering what the prize pools for such a big tournament would be?
Wow, I never knew League of Legends was this popular, I might try to play it one day. It has a huge influence worldwide. Good Job!
Great article Kyle! It’s interesting how Riot already has decided to hold a large tournament even when Corona cases are still increasing. I wonder if this event will get canceled if Covid cases don’t stop increasing in that Shanghai. I learned that many many people tune into these gaming events and I’m glad that Riot is taking precautions to make sure there isn’t a breakout during the event. I’m looking forward to more League of Legends article in the future.
I’ve heard of this game but never dabbled into it myself. I am surprised that League was the 3rd most popular sport in china. I don’t know if it can be counted as a sport (imo) but It does require a lot of practice and a certain level of focus and concentration to be a top player. I never watched it but I might tune in for the highlights to see what it is all about.
I found this article to be really interesting. Despite mainstream sports being canceled it’s so cool to see how this huge video game event is taking over. It’s especially interesting how the stadium holds tens of thousands of members, which is comparable to most large sports arenas! Although I’ve never played League of Legends, I may watch this year just to experience the vast impact it has. Great work Kyle.
This is really cool! I play league of legends every so often but I didn’t know that it was so popular in China. I have not been paying attention to league of legends championships. I think it is very interesting how there are so many people who go to these events every year. I may watch this year to see what happens! Keep on writing more papers!
Wow, nice article! I have never properly learned about this topic and you are so well-educated about it! It is really refreshing to be able to read an article that is so different than the typical pieces that appear on this site. It is so interesting that so many people around the world are involved in this league. I am so curious to see what will happen in a stadium of 33,000 people after Covid! I have learned a lot from your article and I really hope you update us about what happens in the league this year! Great job.
Thanks for posting about this Kyle! I didn’t like League before this article but now I am inspired to try it out! Esports has been a growing category for a long time and I hope one day it will be mainstream. Thanks for this article.
Great article Kyle. I used to play League of Legends but I still didn’t know it was so popular in China. I also didn’t know it was so popular in the world, being the third most watched sport after soccer and basketball. I’m really excited for Worlds this year. Which team do you think will win?
The article is very entertaining! I knew that League of Legends is a popular game, but I’m surprised that it’s the third most popular sport to watch in China. I learned a lot from reading this article. Thanks for writing!
在过去人们都觉得电脑游戏是玩物丧志的，但是如今的英雄联盟已经成为了一种电子竞技，并且中国的著名战队在2018和2019已经获得了两次世界冠军的荣耀，这非常不容易，我也相信在未来中国战队也可以在英雄联盟里继续获得好成绩
Great article! I have play LOL for a few years and it’s a really fun game! I have heard that LOL is popular but I never thought it’s the most popular game. Thank you for the article!
Very good article. I do wonder how e-sports will evolve in the coming years and how it will look in comparison to traditional athletic competitions.
I’ve heard of League of legend and I knew it was a popular game, but I never knew that the game meant a lot to China. The stadium for e-sports looks like a real sports stadium. It is crazy that it could hold up to almost 34,000 people and the stadium looks very futuristic. Great article and it is great seeing what China’s views are towards video games.
Great article Kyle, I’ve played league a lot in the past, but I never really took the time to explore the competitive scene. I had no idea that Lol was so popular in China, and that it was so widely known. I recently stopped playing Lol, but I’ll be sure to watch the upcoming matches in China.
Nice article, I also play League every once in awhile and I’m glad to hear that its so popular. The stadium also looks very cool. I’ll probably watch the competition on twitch.
I think this is very interesting. I play League of Legends a lot and I was extremely curious about how they will pull this year’s world champions off. It’s very exciting to see that they are going to keep going with the game. I think it would not be in the best interest of safety to host a show, but I am very excited to watch from home.
League of legends is a very popular game even in a global scale. There’s a mobile version of it, called 王者荣耀. MOBA games are commonly known in China
allthough I don’t play this game, but I know that this game is extremely popular in many country including China. it is supurising to know that its competition can still happen in the covid time. It should be a good way of entertaiment during covid time
This was an interesting article. It’s really cool how League of Legends is the third most-watched sport. I never knew that e-sports were popular in China with 104 million people who watch it. I wonder how the event will go this month, considering the lingering effects of Covid-19.
This is a very interesting article. I had no idea that League of Legends is so popular in China, let alone that it is the third most popular sport there.
I didn’t know that Professional League of Legends is the third most popular sport in China. I think it’s amazing that the next tournament will be hosted in such a large arena: the Shanghai Pudong Stadium. Hopefully, there will be safety precautions so that everyone can stay safe watching the esport live.
This is an interesting article! I did not know e-sports were that popular in China. It’s interesting that in 2018, over 200 million people watched the game.
That sounds so cool! I didn’t know that League of Legends was considered a sport or how it was so popular in China with 104 million people who like to watch it. I really hope that the annual League of Legends tournament won’t be cancelled so I can watch it.
Before reading this article I didn’t know what the League of Legends was about nor had I heard of it. Now I know that’s it’s a video game competition that’s highly watched in China. Although I don’t know how the game works I might watch the tournament digitally to see what all the popularity’s about!
This is an interesting article. I learned a lot about sports in China, and how over a hundred million people watch it.