KOI’s Event Spike vs. KC’s Fanbase Power: LEC Viewership Analysis

Key insights

5 slides

The setting

Two national Roadtrips amplified the KC-MKOI rivalry.

Riot Games’ Roadtrips initiative hosted flagship events in Évry-Courcouronnes and Madrid.

What changed

KC held the overall viewership title with 232,449 average viewers.

KC averaged 232,449 viewers throughout the Group Stage, while MKOI trailed by less than 15,000. KC holds the overall viewership title due to consistent audience retention across all matches.

Average viewers. Karmine Corp (KC) maintains higher overall audience consistency, averaging 232,449 viewers throughout the Group Stage compared to Movistar KOI (MKOI), which trailed by less than 15,000.

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Summary

The analysis evaluates the viewership impact of France’s Karmine Corp (KC) and Spain’s Movistar KOI (MKOI) during the LEC Spring 2026 Group Stage, focusing on Riot Games’ Roadtrips initiative. Two flagship events—KC’s French stop in Évry-Courcouronnes and MKOI’s Madrid showcase—served as national esports celebrations that amplified the rivalry. The Madrid Roadtrip, backed by influencer Ibai Llanos, drew higher peak concurrent viewership (384,390) than the French event and pushed overall split numbers to new highs, despite occurring after playoff qualification had been determined. This peak occurred during the 1:2 match between MKOI and KC, marking it as the most-watched game of the split.

When aggregate Group Stage averages are considered, both teams surpass 200,000 average viewers, with KC averaging 232,449 and MKOI slightly below by less than 15,000. Thus, KC holds the overall viewership title due to consistent audience retention across all matches. However, the Madrid event’s superior performance indicates that MKOI can attract larger crowds for high-profile events, suggesting a more volatile but potentially explosive fanbase.

The report notes that the rivalry itself is the primary driver of LEC viewership growth, with social media disputes (notably between Kameto and Ibai) and Roadtrip spectacles fueling engagement. Methodologically, the study relies on live-stream concurrent viewer data collected across all Group Stage matches and event weekends, covering the entire European League of Legends season in 2026. The geographic scope spans France and Spain, while the industry segment focuses on competitive League of Legends viewership within the broader esports ecosystem.