Our little Major League Gaming is growing up so fast.
The biggest competitive gaming organization in the U.S. announced today that its unique viewer count for the 2012 Pro Circuit rose to 11.7 million. That’s up from just 3.5 million in 2011. If percentages are more your thing, that represents a growth of 334 percent year-over-year.
That 11.7 million unique viewers numbers is a total from MLG’s four Championship weekend events. The league holds these events once every season in cities around the country.
“MLG’s 334 percent growth in live online audience this year surpasses growth demonstrated by traditional sports. This is a testament to the mainstream demand for competitive gaming and power of live streaming,” said Sundance DiGiovanni, the chief executive officer of Major League Gaming. “The last two years have been the largest in MLG’s 10-year history with over 636 percent growth in live viewers. I only expect that growth to continue in 2013.”
MLG’s major tournaments usually focus on the industry’s biggest competitive games. Starcraft II and League of Legends headlined many of the 2012 events.
It’s clear from this announcement that the MLG is positioning itself as a home for sponsors and advertisers. It’s audience is 85 percent male, primarily in that sweet spot demographic of 18 to 34. Currently, MLG partners with evergreen advertisers like Dr. Pepper and Bic.