NBA 2K League 2023 Viewership Points at Growing Esports Presence
The NBA 2K esports scene is continuing to grow and the recent viewership for the NBA 2K League has proven just that.
The 2023 NBA 2K League season saw a 58% viewership increase from last year and 22% in the average minute audience on Twitch and YouTube. The 5v5 Finals match between Warriors Gaming Squad and NBL Oz Gaming on Saturday, Aug. 5 had more than 617,000 unique viewers.
But it wasn’t only the viewership that increased.
Engagement also saw a massive improvement with an 85% increase in average minutes watched and 75% in average minute audience on Twitch and YouTube versus the previous season during the 5v5 Playoffs.
Fans were also active on social media, with video views on Instagram increasing by 22% and video views on Twitter increasing by 15% compared to last year.
🏆Champions🏆
— NBA 2K League (@NBA2KLeague) August 5, 2023
Congratulations to @WarriorsGaming for winning their first ever NBA 2KL 5v5 Championship! pic.twitter.com/WHtphWcKi9
NBA 2K League Continues to Grow
When people think of esports, they initially think of games like League of Legends, Counter-Strike, and Street Fighter 6. But sports games are becoming a big part of the esports landscape as well thanks to games like Madden and NBA 2K.
The NBA 2K League’s 2023 season began on March 8 and ran through August 5, with 25 top teams competing both virtually and in LAN events in DC. The games were streamed on NBA TV, Twitch, YouTube, and more. The updates were continuously brought to fans on Twitter and TikTok.
The presence of NBA 2K in the esports industry has only continued to increase thanks to loyal fans from all over the world showing their support on social media. It started in 2018, founded by the NBA, and has continued to become a prominent esports title with respected talent and an organized season.
Olivia is a long-time esports journalist and editor who covers just about every game but has a deep love for the FGC. Her goal is to find community-driven stories that bring a new perspective to the esports scene. In the past, she has worked for Team Liquid, Rogue, Inven Global, Dot Esports, Upcomer, and more. Outside of esports, Olivia enjoys Kirby, Pokemon TCG, Fallout, and writing science fiction. She can be found trying out new foods, traveling, or hanging out with her two orange cats. Fun fact: Olivia can do some video game and cartoon impressions!