500,000 MLG Fans Watch Dallas Playoff Live Competition
By Lies | Published: October 14, 2008 5:01pm EST
Average viewing time of 50 minutes beats standard online video consumption thresholds by a factor of 10
Unique viewer numbers beat Male 12-34 primetime audience reach of major cable networks
NEW YORK CITY—OCTOBER 14, 2008—Major League Gaming, the professional video game league, today announced viewership results from its US 2008 Playoffs held in Dallas October 3-5, 2008. Continuing a dramatic rise in its programming numbers this season, MLG’s live online broadcast was up 38% over regular season ratings, and drew a combined Male 12-34 audience larger than almost all traditional male and youth-focused cable networks and many major cable sporting events.
In total, more than 435,000 hours of MLG’s live, TV-quality broadcast were consumed.
Historical viewer data from MLG’s 2008 Pro Circuit suggest that the broadcast streams will likely double in the coming weeks as fans flock to MLGPro.com to watch the competition coverage on-demand.
“This season has marked Major League Gaming’s arrival as the choice of the next generation of sports fans—we are now ‘must see TV’ for the 40 million video gamers in America whose primary interest in gaming is to compete,” said Matthew Bromberg, president and CEO of Major League Gaming.
About Major League Gaming
Major League Gaming is North America’s first professional videogame league, and its only sanctioning body for pro gaming. MLG operates the multi-city MLG Pro Circuit, presented by GameStop and powered by Xbox 360; produces compelling competitions for national television, broadband and mobile distribution; and exclusively represents the best gamers in the world. It also operates a thriving online community and online tournaments for millions of gamers at MLGPro.com. MLG, founded in 2002, is based in New York City and is privately held.
