The BLAST.tv Austin Major has become the most-watched Counter-Strike tournament in history.
According to esports data platform Esports Charts, the Austin Major recorded 76.1m hours watched across the event’s 135-hour airtime, recording 5m more hours than the 2021 Stockholm Major, which recorded 71.2m.
The 22nd Major took place at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, and saw French esports organisation Team Vitality lift the trophy.
Despite this feat, the 2021 Stockholm Major, organised by PGL, still holds the record for the highest peak viewership of any Counter-Strike tournament with a figure of 2.7m. The Austin Major recorded a peak viewing figure of 1.7m during the Grand Final between Team Vitality and The MongolZ, making it the fourth highest peak for a Counter-Strike tournament.
Team Vitality featured in three of the five most-watched matches of the Austin Major. The five matches all recorded peak viewing figures of over one million.
While the French organisation featured in the majority of most-watched matches, it was the third most-watched organisation of the tournament with 11.4m hours watched. The MongolZ recorded the highest figure, with 13.4m hours.
For BLAST, the Austin Major is the event organiser’s most-watched tournament of the year so far and the second of its events to record a peak viewing figure of over one million. BLAST Rivals Spring 2025 recorded 1.03m peak viewers as Team Vitality defeated Team Falcons in the Grand Final.
What’s Next For BLAST following the Austin Major?
BLAST’s next large-scale Counter-Strike event is the Fall edition of its Bounty tournament series. Notably, the event is the first to take place in Malta, after the organiser secured a three-year partnership with GamingMalta.
The eight-team event takes place from August 14th to 17th, 2025 and will see eight teams competing for a share of a $500,000 (~£373,337) prize pool.
Outside of Counter-Strike, the tournament organiser also operates the esports circuits for Fortnite, Rainbow Six, and Rocket League. The RLCS Raleigh Major takes place at the Lenovo Center from June 26th to 29th and is the second Major of the Rocket League esports season.
