IEM Krakow has officially become the most-watched non-Major tournament in Counter-Strike history. The inaugural Polish event, which moved from its traditional home in Katowice, concluded this past weekend with record-breaking numbers.
According to data from Esports Charts, the tournament accumulated 40,215,587 hours watched. This figure surpasses all previous non-Major events, placing IEM Krakow 13th on the all-time list for hours watched across all tournaments.
Peak Viewership Achievement
In addition to the total hours watched, the event also set a new standard for peak concurrent viewers outside of a Major championship. The grand final attracted 1,387,966 peak viewers. This achievement eclipses the previous record held by IEM Katowice 2025, which had reached 1,299,747 peak viewers.
On the all-time leaderboard, this peak viewership places IEM Krakow 8th overall. While impressive, it still trails the historic highs of Major championships. For comparison, the PGL Major Stockholm 2021 holds the record with 2,748,434 peak viewers, and the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 recorded over 76 million hours watched.
Vitality Takes the Trophy
The record-setting viewership coincided with a historic performance by Team Vitality. The European squad defeated FURIA in the grand final to claim the trophy.
The victory was particularly significant for the organization, as it allowed them to break Astralis’ long-standing record for Big Event trophy wins. Star player Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut was instrumental in the team’s success, shining throughout the tournament and helping to drive the massive audience interest.
Shorter Airtime, Higher Intensity
The viewership metrics are especially notable given the event’s duration. IEM Krakow had a relatively modest airtime of approximately 86 hours. In contrast, major events like the Austin Major or Stockholm Major often feature significantly longer broadcasts exceeding 120 hours. This efficiency highlights the intense interest and high engagement levels throughout the Krakow tournament, confirming Counter-Strike remains a dominant force in esports.