The first week of the LEC Spring Split concluded on Monday with Fnatic suffering a crushing 0-2 defeat against SK Gaming. This marks an opportunity to analyze the impact of the league’s new format, which finally introduces an initial stage where each team plays best-of-three (BO3) matches three days a week. Despite long-awaited changes, viewership numbers tell a different story—Week 1 of Spring 2025 saw a 32.6% drop in peak viewership compared to Winter 2025. Similarly, comparing Spring 2024 to Spring 2025, peak viewership is down 10.3%.

Interestingly, the most-watched match in Winter and Spring 2025 was the clash between Karmine Corp and Movistar KOI in Week 1. In Winter, KC won 1-0 in a single-game format, while in Spring, they secured a 2-1 victory in a BO3. As usual, Karmine Corp remains a major driver of LEC viewership, largely thanks to their highly engaged fanbase and the co-streaming of Kamel "Kameto" Kebir. On the Spanish side, Sergio "Knekro" García's co-streaming also contributed to the numbers, though to a lesser extent.

Why is viewership dropping?

A combination of factors seems to explain the decline in LEC viewership. In Spain, the absence of Ibai Llanos has left a noticeable gap, as he was a key figure in driving engagement in previous seasons. At the same time, the initial hype surrounding Karmine Corp’s entry into the LEC has naturally started to wear off, leading to less excitement compared to last year. While the switch from BO1 to BO3 was expected to rejuvenate interest, it hasn’t yet sparked the enthusiasm many had hoped for. The new format also results in a less varied daily schedule, with some teams playing more frequently than others depending on the weekend, which may contribute to lower engagement. Additionally, the first week of the LEC has historically been plagued by frequent pauses and delays, frustrating viewers and making it harder to maintain momentum.

Beyond these structural issues, external competition likely played a role in drawing audiences away. This opening weekend clashed directly with major esports events, including the BLAST Premier Spring Open in Lisbon (Counter-Strike) and the Rocket League Major in Birmingham, where Karmine Corp secured the title. Given this, Kameto naturally shifted his stream to focus on the RL final, which may have pulled a significant portion of the LEC’s potential viewership. While the new BO3 format was meant to bring fresh excitement, early indicators suggest it hasn’t yet delivered the expected boost.