Dota 2’s Riyadh Masters 2023, held as part of the Gamers8 festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has concluded with an impressive surge in viewership metrics compared to the previous year.
The tournament garnered a staggering 587,000 peak viewers, solidifying its position as the most-watched Dota 2 esports event of the year. Notably, this year’s viewership witnessed an astounding increase of over 60% compared to the previous edition, as reported by the reliable esports viewership platform, Esports Charts.
Riyadh Masters 2023: Record-Breaking Esports Event
According to Esports Charts, the Masters’ total viewership reached 587,000, with an average of just over 200,000 viewers tuning in, and the event spanning approximately 149 hours of airtime.
The growth in all metrics becomes evident when comparing this year’s tournament to last year’s, which had 363,000 peak viewers and ran for 48 hours. Interestingly, both editions recorded almost identical figures in terms of average viewership, with the 2022 event having just a thousand fewer average viewers. Additionally, Russian-speaking platforms dominated as the most prevalent language for viewers in both editions.
Increased Prize Pool = Increased Viewership
The surge in overall attention can be attributed to Gamers8 significantly elevating its prize pool this year. The inaugural Riyadh Masters boasted a prize pool of $4.2 million (~£3.28 million), while this year’s event impressively tripled that amount, reaching a total of $15 million (~£11.7 million).
In a thrilling finale, Team Spirit emerged as the ultimate champions, securing an impressive $5 million (~£3.8 million) in prize money. The final match between Team Spirit and Team Liquid emerged as the highlight of the event, drawing the most substantial viewership.
Esports Masterclass
Notably, the Riyadh Masters outperformed all other 2023 Dota 2 Majors in terms of viewership, solidifying its place as the eleventh most-viewed event in the history of the game. Only a few thousand viewers separated it from the immensely popular ESL One Stockholm Major 2022.
The Riyadh Masters found its platform within the Gamers8 festival, a grand esports and gaming extravaganza taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Alongside Dota 2, the festival hosts large-scale competitions in various games, encompassing fighting games, simulation racing, CS:GO, Rocket League, and other well-known esports titles. This remarkable event stands as the largest gaming gathering ever, boasting an unprecedented esports prize pool of $45 million (~£37.96 million).
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