MSI 2023: T1 vs. JDG Make History with Thrilling Series and Record-Breaking Viewership
On May 18, 2023, we witnessed history being made after T1 and JDG beat viewership records in the Mid-Season Invitational 2023 Semifinals.
As the thrilling Mid-Season Invitational 2023 nears its end, the fans have witnessed some exciting couple of weeks. From the very start of the MSI's second bracket, the viewership records began to rise to the roof.
Never before had a game so early in the MSI attracted such a massive audience, as was the case when G2 Esports clashed with Gen.G in the opening match of the MSI bracket phase. Gen.G emerged victorious with a 3-1 series win over G2 Esports, and the peak viewership for this series reached an impressive 1.37 million viewers.
This early indication of record-breaking viewership for the MSI set the stage for even greater milestones. The following day, the tournament surpassed yet another record when Mad Lions faced off against T1, where T1 almost broke a record of their own when they beat Mad Lions after 16:56 minutes, making it the second-fastest game on the international stage.
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The Mad Lions vs. T1 series peaked at 1.46 M viewers, which was higher than any game in the previous Mid-Season Invitational, besides the grand finals last year.
However, the magnitude of those matches was nothing compared to what unfolded when T1 clashed with JDG in a thrilling showdown, determining the first finalist of the 2023 MSI.
T1 vs. JD Gaming Shatters MSI's All-Time Viewership Record
Yesterday, LPL's first seed representative JD Gaming met LCK's fan-favorite team, T1, in a best-of-five series for the first final spot in the Mid-Season Invitational 2023. After a hard-fought battle, JD Gaming emerged victorious after a close 3-2 series, finally securing a place for the grand finals.
After the nail-biting series, the MSI finally set the bar for more tournaments to come after beating the record of being the most-watched series ever in the history of the Mid-Season Invitational, according to Esports Charts.
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This means this semifinal match beat every final in the history of the MSI regarding viewership. The record-breaking results should is not that surprising. Throughout the series, several games in the bracket stage have been closing up to the record, and yesterday's series was easily the most exciting one we have seen in London so far.
Both teams in the series have already made a name for themselves as some of the best teams in the world, making it a hype-fest every time the two strongest regions face each other in an international tournament.
T1 is also known for having the biggest and most passionate fanbase in League of Legends and is usually part of the equation when viewership records are made.
To the despair of the LCK fans out there, JD Gaming eventually won the series 3-2 after a very close series. So it is not unlikely we will see a re-match in the grand finale, which we can only expect to have even higher viewership numbers.
What team do you stand behind in the 2023 Mid-Season Invitational?
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