On the third day of the MSI 2024 Play-In stage, Bilibili Gaming (BLG) struggled to overcome PSG Talon (PSG) with a score of 3-2. The representatives from the PCS really surprised the audience with their strength and quick adaptability to lane swap strategies. Meanwhile, BLG disappointed many fans from the LPL region with some unnecessary “throwing” moments.
Theoretically, with such a “controversial” match that went to 5 games, the viewership for MSI 2024 should be extremely high. However, the media in the LPL recently revealed the sad truth that Riot’s prestigious tournament is even less appealing than the “Veterans Cup.” Specifically, according to a report from Sohu, only 25.3% of respondents are currently watching MSI 2024 live. In contrast, as many as 67.7% of fans opted to watch the friendly tournament “Legends Cup” featuring “unemployed” stars like Uzi and TheShy…
The main reason for this significant gap is that the entertainment value of MSI currently does not meet audience expectations. Since the tournament began, the outcomes of matches have often been quite predictable. For instance, TES and Gen.G defeated Team Liquid and Fnatic with a score of 3-0 in one-sided matchups. Clearly, when compared to the entertaining nature of a fun tournament like the “Legends Cup,” the recent matches of MSI 2024 seem to fall short.
So how can MSI 2024 regain the attention of the audience? In response to this issue, the LPL media believes that T1 is the “savior” of the tournament. First, T1 has a huge popularity in the LPL, and they will draw a large number of viewers for MSI. Remember, the recent matchup between T1 and EST was the highest-viewed match in MSI history during the Play-In stage.
Furthermore, T1 and G2 have a lot of past “connections,” making this matchup highly anticipated. Additionally, as LCK and LPL representatives start to “collide” in the upcoming rounds, it will reduce the number of one-sided, predictable matches. This will elevate the appeal of MSI 2024 and help the tournament gain significant attention from the audience.
Hopefully, the T1 players will maintain their performance in the Play-In stage and go as far as possible in MSI 2024 this time. In addition to enhancing their own achievements, this will also help MSI 2024 attract a lot of viewers and not fall into the situation of being “outclassed” by other tournaments.