The Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS) 2023 Split 1 Playoffs saw a decrease of just over 30% in total hours watched, according to data compiled by Esports Charts.
The 2023 event had a watch time of 6.7m hours, a fall from 2022’s Split 2 Playoffs which saw a total of 9.6m hours. Airtime, however, was almost exactly the same at just over 33 hours total for each competition.
Viewership peaked in the final round at 542,959, which involved the top 20 teams from the bracket fighting to reach 50 points, before winning a game to take the tournament. The tournament was eventually won by North American organisation TSM.
Whilst there is a decrease, it’s worth noting that (ALGS) 2023 Split 1 Playoffs is still the fourth most popular Apex Legends esports event ever, with regard to peak viewership. The most popular Apex Legends event is last split’s playoffs, recording a peak figure of 676,653.
The event took four days to reach its conclusion, with 40 qualifying teams split into four groups. The broadcast began at midday and ended mid to late afternoon EU team each day, making viewing easier for European and Asian fans.
The event was broadcast from London for the first time. The Copperbox Arena is the former home of handball for the London 2012 Olympics and a venue for previous esports events, including the RLCS Spring Split Major last year. The Copperbox is also one of the reported options for League of Legends’ 2023 MSI.
The drop in viewership comes amid news that Respawn Entertainment is sunsetting the game’s mobile version.
A variety of teams competed with British players including IG, Alliance and Vexed. The British presence resulted in a crowd cheering for a variety of teams, including Fnatic, whose Apex Legends team actually hails from Japan.
Despite this, three of the top four teams hailed from the United States, including the eventual champions in TSM. The organisation hosted its own $100,000 (~£89,300) tournament — the TSM Winter Royale — in late December.
