• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechGaming

Intel Extreme Masters Shatters eSports Records

By
John Gaudiosi
John Gaudiosi
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
John Gaudiosi
John Gaudiosi
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 22, 2016, 1:59 PM ET
ESL

Intel just capped off its tenth year in eSports with its biggest event ever. The Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) World Championship in Katowice, Poland attracted over 113,000 fans to Spodek Arena over the course of the event from March 4 to 6.

That’s up 8% over last year, thanks in part to an expanded IEM Expo featuring 43 booths from gaming companies and other partners interested in the gamer audience.

But the real benefit for Intel, as well as all of the sponsors involved in this mammoth eSports event, was the online audience.

ESL, which produces IEM, expanded its live-streaming reach for the first time with this event. Fans were able to watch the video game action in 26 languages across 14 platforms, including Twitch, Hitbox, Azubu, and new eSports entry Yahoo.

Nik Adams, senior vice president of sales and business development at ESL, boasts the gaming network produces world-class eSports content with the intent to ensure it reaches as many people as it possibly can. One of the ways it plans to achieve that is by targeting new audiences.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune‘s technology newsletter.

“Cross-platform live-streaming brings the content to new verticals, such as local sports sites,” says Adams. “eSports is ready for the real sports fan, as we already see viewership and popularity on both reaching the same levels — factors that help us bring our sport to the next level. When you look at the last 15 years of eSports history, and in particular the production quality, sponsor involvement, global reach and audience, you will notice that the quality and level of entertainment have always gone up with an audience boost. It won’t be different this year, when once again we will see multiple ESL events breaking industry records and the production value reaching a new high.”

The IEM World Championship also kicked off a new “Diversity in eSports” initiative between Intel and ESL, featuring a female CS:GO tournament. Ubisoft also partnered with ESL to launch its Rainbow Six Siege Pro League.

Over 34 million unique viewers tuned in to the IEM World Championship broadcasts matched by over two million estimated peak concurrent viewers across multiple viewing platforms. This viewership represents a 32% and 25% rise, respectively, compared to last year’s corresponding events.

The end of the IEM pro-gaming tour crowned three champions on the main stage in Spodek Arena: SK Telecom T1 in League of Legends, Fnatic in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Polt in StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void.

Over $5.5 million in prize money has been awarded at IEM events in the last decade, with over $500,000 given out at the IEM World Championship in Katowice alone.

At IEM Katowice, ESL streamed five stages. Adams notes each stage was localized to at least one additional language by the crew on the ground. That was on top of supporting up to 20 languages through partners or ESL local offices.

For more on eSports, watch:

Overall, this year’s IEM championship was the largest yet—not to mention the biggest ESL event as well. As the largest eSports provider worldwide, ESL already runs over 18 different eSports leagues and tournaments.

On top of the live-streaming exposure, the event broke all ESL engagement records on social media. ESL and IEM’s Twitter and Facebook accounts clocked over 3.2 million engagements with impressions in the hundreds of millions. Nearly 1,000 posts reached well over 30 million unique users on Twitter and Facebook over the course of the event.

IEM has visited five continents with 58 events over the last decade. As just one example of eSports meteoric growth, IEM’s first season topped out at around 500,000 video sessions. Season 10 exceeded 132.3 million video sessions.

About the Author
By John Gaudiosi
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon says 2026 is the year AI agents go mainstream—and the smartphone’s reign as your primary device is ending
AIFortune 500: Titans and Disruptors of Industry
Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon says 2026 is the year AI agents go mainstream—and the smartphone’s reign as your primary device is ending
By Fortune EditorsMay 10, 2026
7 hours ago
The global economy is experiencing the largest capex cycle ever, with nearly $5 trillion seen by the end of the decade—and it’s not all AI spending
EnergyAlternative energy
The global economy is experiencing the largest capex cycle ever, with nearly $5 trillion seen by the end of the decade—and it’s not all AI spending
By Jason MaMay 10, 2026
7 hours ago
AI wins have Alphabet poised to become world’s biggest company
AIAlphabet
AI wins have Alphabet poised to become world’s biggest company
By Ryan Vlastelica and BloombergMay 10, 2026
10 hours ago
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says Gen Z and millennials are using ChatGPT like a ‘life advisor’—but college students might be one step ahead
TechOpenAI
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says Gen Z and millennials are using ChatGPT like a ‘life advisor’—but college students might be one step ahead
By Sydney LakeMay 10, 2026
13 hours ago
Torsten Slok, wearing a suit, speaks on a stage with a gold and black background.
AILabor
‘The gains will be substantial’: The AI shock is looking a lot like the China shock, and a top economist says that’s actually good news
By Sasha RogelbergMay 10, 2026
14 hours ago
Young man working on laptop with headphones in modern coffeeshop
Future of Workskills gap
AI generated identical résumés for a man and a woman: Hers was more likely to be labeled ‘weak,’ while his got a 97% approval rating
By Eleanor PringleMay 10, 2026
17 hours ago

Most Popular

‘This is the way’: Elon Musk endorses Warren Buffett’s famed 5-minute plan to fix the national debt
Economy
‘This is the way’: Elon Musk endorses Warren Buffett’s famed 5-minute plan to fix the national debt
By Jacqueline MunisMay 10, 2026
12 hours ago
'Employers are increasingly turning to degree and GPA' in hiring: Recruiters retreat from ‘talent is everywhere,’ double down on top colleges
Future of Work
'Employers are increasingly turning to degree and GPA' in hiring: Recruiters retreat from ‘talent is everywhere,’ double down on top colleges
By Jake AngeloMay 9, 2026
1 day ago
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says Gen Z and millennials are using ChatGPT like a 'life advisor'—but college students might be one step ahead
Tech
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says Gen Z and millennials are using ChatGPT like a 'life advisor'—but college students might be one step ahead
By Sydney LakeMay 10, 2026
13 hours ago
Ted Cruz says the quiet part out loud: Trump accounts are Social Security personal accounts as GOP senator reveals 'dirty little secret'
Politics
Ted Cruz says the quiet part out loud: Trump accounts are Social Security personal accounts as GOP senator reveals 'dirty little secret'
By Jason MaMay 9, 2026
1 day ago
Red flag test: former CEO explains why he rejects job candidates who say they can start right away
Success
Red flag test: former CEO explains why he rejects job candidates who say they can start right away
By Orianna Rosa RoyleMay 9, 2026
2 days ago
Trump thinks he's flying to Beijing with leverage. China spent 6 years making sure he doesn't have any
Commentary
Trump thinks he's flying to Beijing with leverage. China spent 6 years making sure he doesn't have any
By Steve H. HankeMay 10, 2026
14 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.