PlayBrain Inc. (headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo, hereafter referred to as PlayBrain) is proud to to share insights into the viewership trends of domestic esports tournaments for the last quarter of 2022 and the entire year, leveraging data collected via “TAIYORO,” a comprehensive website for esports tournament schedule information.

Throughout 2022, the Japanese esports scene featured more than 40 game titles, with broadcasted days increasing by 9% compared to the previous year with approximately 1700 days. Live esports events were also on the rise by 4%, exceeding 300 days thus outperforming the previous year’s figures. The total viewing time for esports tournament broadcasts in Japan for the year exceeded 5 billion minutes, marking a 38% growth from the previous year.

The continued increase in viewing time can be attributed to factors such as the implementation of “watch party” initiatives, where fans join popular streamers to watch tournament broadcasts together, and the growing interest driven by the performance of Japanese teams in global competitions for major esports titles.

Additionally, the easing of COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions this year allowed for the return of in-person events at large venues, likely further boosting interest in esports tournaments.

Below are the main trends from 2022 in domestic esports broadcasting data, as independently compiled by TAIYORO.

2022 Domestic Esports Tournament Broadcast Viewing Trends (Data from TAIYORO)

(Data Source: TAIYORO)

“VALORANT,” “League of Legends,” and “Apex Legends,” the most watched game titles with over 100 million minutes watched during each quarter of the year

2022 also introduced fresh initiatives in the esports scene. For “League of Legends,” new ventures included broadcasts of the “2022 Asia Star Challengers Invitational,” where academy players from “LJL” teams faced off against teams from Asia, and Japanese broadcasts of the Korean pro league “LCK.” “VALORANT” made headlines with the “VALORANT Game Changers Championship,” a global, women-exclusive official world tournament.

Below are presented key highlights from the viewership data of domestic esports broadcasts from October to December 2022, as independently compiled by TAIYORO.

Domestic Esports Tournament Broadcast Viewing Trends for October-December 2022 (Data from TAIYORO)

The shift of the “VALORANT” world tournament “VALORANT CHAMPIONS”, traditionally held in December, to September played a role in the observed trends of 2022. This scheduling adjustment resulted in a drop of the total viewing time for domestic esports tournament broadcasts for the October-December quarter, translating into a 14% decrease compared to the same period last year, amounting to 1.14 billion minutes. This marked the first instance of a decline in viewership figures from one quarter to the next in 2022.

Combining “VALORANT” and “League of Legends,” “Riot Games ONE” achieved a peak viewership of 93,000

Held over November and December as a significant esports event in Japan, “Riot Games ONE,” organized by Riot Games, blending together online and offline formats. The event concluded with an offline event held at the Yokohama Arena welcoming several renowned international esports teams to Japan for exhibition matches against the country’s leading teams. This event attracted a peak audience of 93,000 viewers on its live stream as the top event of the year for simultaneous viewers (this figure does not include sub-broadcasts).

“Knives Out” as the most broadcasted game title, totaling over 45 days

With the “Knives Out Pro League (KOPL) Season 1” held from August to November within the official Japanese league and the KOPL Season 2 qualification tournament 2022 “Knives Out ELITE LEAGUE” in December, the game title's official tournament constantly ran throughout the year. The “FFL Knives Out” league, organized by FENNEL and streamed every Friday, also contributed significantly to making “Knives Out” the most broadcasted game title of 2022.

About the esports calendar “TAIYORO”

The esports calendar website “TAIYORO” is dedicated to making it easier for fans to watch esports tournaments by offering up-to-date information on esports broadcasts within Japan and collecting data on viewership. One of its unique feature is the free Discord Bot, which enables users to link the schedule of Japanese esports broadcasts directly to their Discord servers.

Information listed on TAIYORO spans from competitions in major professional esports leagues both in Japan and internationally (with Japanese language broadcasts), down to community-level tournaments and innovative new events, all with the objective of continually updating to support the growth and expansion of the esports viewership community.

Learn more about the TAIYORO esports calendar: https://taiyoro.gg/

For more information on the free TAIYORO Discord Bot: https://taiyoro.gg/discord

TAIYORO is committed to providing accurate and analyzable viewership data to deepen understanding of fan engagement in Japan’s esports scene, aiming to facilitate new business opportunities and enrich the fan experience. Customizable reports will soon be available to offer compiled viewership data reports to businesses, event organizers, and media outlets.

About TAIYORO

TAIYORO is a portal site designed for esports viewing fans, offering comprehensive information on esports tournaments within Japan, from VODs of past events to broadcast details of upcoming events. Whether you are searching for the schedule of esports tournaments for your favorite game titles or want to catch the esports events everyone is currently buzzing about, our goal is to bring the excitement of esports viewing closer to everyone and share the fun of watching esports with as many people as possible.

The information on our site is kept up-to-date and accurate thanks to contributions and cooperation from tournament organizers and communities. If you find any inaccuracies or wish to request corrections, please reach out to us via the contact form.