MLG's eSports Revolution Saw Massive Growth This Year

More and more players are watching streaming game competitions.

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If you're into eSports and streaming video game tournaments, chances are you're a fan of Major League Gaming. And it turns out, if you watched an MLG Pro Circuit broadcast in 2012, you've contributed to the organization's biggest year ever.

MLG reported this week that live online viewership over its four Pro Circuit Championship weekends grew by 334 percent over 2011, and by 636 percent since 2010. Yep, that's massive. A reported 11.7 million viewers tuned in online during the 2012 Pro Circuit, up from 3.5 million during the 2011 season, consuming 15 million total hours of live video. The 2012 numbers shattered MLG records.

“MLG’s 334% growth in live online audience this year surpasses growth demonstrated by traditional sports. This is a testament to the mainstream demand for competitive gaming and power of live streaming,” said MLG CEO Sundance DiGiovanni in a press release. “The last two years have been the largest in MLG’s 10-year history with over 636% growth in live viewers. I only expect that growth to continue in 2013.”

MLG also increased the frequency of online broadcasts earlier this year, further adding to the popularity of eSports overall. Check out the infographic above for some more tasty statistics. Did you tune in to any MLG broadcasts this year?

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