Overwatch League reported its Week 16 average minute audience this past weekend was 63,000 viewers, more than double the 31,000 the prior week and a positive sign in its bid to boost ratings. The league this past weekend was experimenting with a new May Melee tournament format. It also was the first weekend of the season featuring token drops, which are in-game incentives for Overwatch players to watch OWL action (this year on OWL.com or the league app). The league switched this year from Twitch to YouTube as part of a three-year, $160M deal with Activision Blizzard Esports, and its viewership so far in '20 has been down markedly. Viewership in the U.S. this week averaged 68,000, while in Asia it was 52,000 versus 23,000 for the prior week. The numbers take into account viewers from YouTube and OWL’s own platforms.
YES YOU MAY: The new May Melee structure is an experiment in trying to run a month-long regional tournament, instead of more traditional league action. The S.F. Shock won the North American bracket, and the Shanghai Dragons were victorious in the Asia region bracket. League execs seem to be pleased by the reception from fans of the tournament, with VP Jon Spector tweeting, “Our May Melee was a ton of fun, and we've heard a lot of positive feedback from our community.” Activision Blizzard Esports President & CEO Pete Vlastelica added, “We’re really excited about how the May Melee turned out, and I’m proud of everyone involved for achieving this in a season that never stopped operating during COVID-19.”
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