2025 Call of Duty League Opening Weekend Viewership Breaks 2024 Record

The highly anticipated Call of Duty League (CDL) 2025 season officially launched on Friday, December 6, 2024, achieving remarkable success by nearly doubling its peak viewership from the previous year. This upswing set the stage for an exhilarating opening weekend.

According to data reported by Esports Charts, the concurrent viewership surged to over 204,000 viewers during a thrilling Game 5, Round 11 matchup featuring the LA Guerrillas M8 against the Minnesota Rokkr. This spike in viewership was notably supported by the co-stream of Corentin ‘Gotaga’ Houssein, a prominent figure in the COD scene, who attracted upwards of 70,000 viewers for that decisive round.

CDL 2025 peak viewers Major 1 Qualifiers Week 1 — Source: Esports Charts

The LA Guerrillas M8 were not only a highlight of the weekend; they also dominated the CDL viewership rankings. Additionally, the Gentle Mates-owned squad, LAGM8, secured the second highest viewership with nearly 175,000 fans tuning in to witness their match against the Carolina Royal Ravens.

Despite typically leading in viewership, OpTic Texas placed fourth and fifth with their matches facing Boston Breach and Cloud9 New York, while the match between LA Thieves and Atlanta FaZe garnered attention too, peaking at around 160,000 viewers.

Significant Increase Compared to 2024

The numbers from this opening weekend represent a substantial increase over last year’s CDL viewership. To put it in perspective, the inaugural weekend of the 2024 CDL season saw figures peak at just under 107,000, which is almost half of the peak viewership noted during LAG vs Minnesota.

While Gotaga’s co-stream certainly played a major role in this spike, the baseline viewership alone still surpassed 2024’s opening numbers. This upward trend suggests a promising outlook for the entire season, as initial views exceeded those of any regular season match from last year, excluding Major tournaments.

It is essential to note, however, that this surge is just the beginning of a lengthy season. Viewer engagement may fluctuate significantly as the CDL progresses, especially as teams gear up for upcoming Majors and major LAN events.

This surge in viewership is undoubtedly a positive indicator for the league’s current health, and it’s an exciting development for players, fans, and organizers alike.

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