The return of a live audience for the Call of Duty League last weekend led to records being set for viewership and on-site concession sales.
The CDL event was hosted by OpTic Texas at Esports Stadium Arlington, with OpTic beating the Atlanta FaZe 5-2 in the final.
Record viewership on YouTube peaked at around 186,000 concurrents during Sunday’s final, according to the Sports Business Journal.
“The tournament-style format creates an experience of unexpected hype where fans can see their favorites clash and underdogs make a run in a way that traditional sports on appointment-based viewing cannot replicate,” said Adam Rymer, CEO of Envy, OpTic Texas’ parent company, per SBJ. “That type entertainment experience — the LAN competitive environment coupled with a live and lively crowd — ultimately make for a better product for viewers watching on broadcast, too.”
The four-day event concluded with more than 1,800 fans setting a concession sales record.
“The success of this event is validation of Arlington’s investment in Esports Stadium Arlington,” Geoff Moore, president and COO of Dallas-based Envy, told the SBJ. “With almost all ticket buyers from outside of Arlington, and more than half from outside (the Dallas-Ft. Worth area), this is the sort of event that Arlington was always banking on.”
–Field Level Media