The recent weekend marked the conclusion of Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Cologne, a prestigious annual CS:GO tournament held in Cologne, Germany.
This tournament attracted a peak viewership of over 700,000, positioning it as the second most-watched CS:GO event in 2023, following the Paris Major, as reported by Esports Charts, a platform dedicated to tracking esports viewership.
In the 2023 iteration, G2 Esports emerged victorious over ENCE in the grand finals, captivating a peak concurrent viewership of 727,000, the highest point of viewership throughout the tournament. Across its 101 hours of broadcasting, IEM Cologne 2023 maintained an average viewership of slightly more than 291,000.
“This is the biggest trophy of my career.”
Nikola NiKo Kovač, G2 Esports
A comparison with the 2022 edition of IEM Cologne reveals a notable decline in peak viewership from 1.2 million, although this year’s average viewership was higher.
IEM Cologne has solidified its status as one of the premier CS:GO tournaments globally, running consistently since its inception in 2014 under the name ESL One Cologne. Much like the renowned IEM Katowice, another prominent CS:GO event held in Europe, IEM Cologne is celebrated for its vibrant atmosphere and significant influence on the CS:GO esports landscape.
The 2023 edition of IEM Cologne stands as the second most-watched CS:GO event of the season, narrowly surpassing IEM Katowice by a slim margin. Furthermore, IEM Cologne 2023 claims the distinction of being the most-watched non-Major CS:GO event in 2023.
Prominent sponsors such as 1xBet, DHL, Monster Energy, and Coinbase lent their support to the event. While these results are noteworthy, it’s important to acknowledge that previous editions of IEM Cologne achieved more impressive figures. For instance, the 2021 iteration reached a peak viewership of 842,000, while the 2022 edition achieved an all-time high.
The remainder of 2023 will host several significant CS:GO events that could potentially break records, including the upcoming ESL Pro League finals. However, the Counter-Strike community is currently anticipating the transition to CS2, which could materialize at any moment.
At present, IEM Cologne 2023 occupies the 18th position among the most popular CS:GO events, as per Esports Charts’ rankings.
