Valorant Champions 2026 opening day peaks at 606K viewers

Valorant Champions 2026 opened in Shanghai with an opening-day peak of more than 605,800 viewers. Only two matches were played on the first day: Paper Rex defeated Team Liquid 2-1 and G2 Esports beat TYLOO 2-0. The Paper Rex–Team Liquid match was the most-watched match of the session.

More than 280 unique broadcast channels carried the opening day, up from roughly 230 channels that covered the first day of last year’s finals in Paris. English-language broadcasts averaged about 11.8% higher viewership on opening day than they did at last year’s event.

Tournament organizers noted that viewing patterns by language can change during the event because regional audiences often tune in when teams from their area compete. Broader trends will become clearer as group and elimination rounds add more matches.

Valorant Champions 2026 runs Sept. 24 to Oct. 18 in Shanghai. Sixteen teams are competing for a $2.25 million prize pool.

Organizers will continue to track viewership and channel counts throughout the competition as more teams enter the bracket and fan interest shifts with matchups and time zones.

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