The Chinese team FunPlus Phoenix has just won the final of the world championship of the video game League of Legends. More than 100 million people are expected to have watched the live stream of the final match. The match was played in a packed arena with spectators.
The Chinese won 3-0 against the European team G2 Esports. Not entirely a surprise, say the experts.
"The hope was that the European team would win, but actually that was against our better judgement. The level of the Chinese teams is just that little bit higher," says Ward Geene of the website Esports Club. "The competition in that region is very strong. A lot of talent is being developed there. For a long time, South Korea was at the top, for example."
The final of the League of Legends World Championships is the biggest event in the world of esports in terms of viewers. Last year, 99.6 million people watched the final via the livestream. The Chinese team Invictus Gaming won. In comparison: the Super Bowl - the final of the American football season - was watched by 114.5 million people last year.
Geene expects that with this afternoon's final a new ratings record has been set. "League of Legends has been the biggest game in esports for years and in terms of viewing figures it hasn't reached its peak yet. There was a European and a Chinese team in the final again this year, so both in Europe and in China a huge number of people will have been watching."
FunPlus Phoenix gets to share a few million euros after winning this afternoon. The team also receives a trophy with an accompanying case, specially made by the French luxury brand Louis Vuitton.
Source: Nos.nl