PUBG Nations Cup 2024 becomes third most popular PUBG esports event

The PUBG Nations Cup 2024 recorded a peak viewership of 404,725, making it the third-most-popular esports event in the game’s history.

According to esports data platform Esports Charts, the event also garnered 183,400 average viewers and nearly 2.8m watch hours across its 15-hour runtime.

The Nations Cup format features top players who are chosen by peers to represent their nation in competitive PUBG. The circuit was reinstated by the game’s developer, KRAFTON, in 2022 following a two-year hiatus.

This year’s edition was held in Seoul, South Korea, between September 6th and 8th. The 16 countries competed for a prize pool of $300,000 (~£229,000), with South Korea ultimately securing first place for the second consecutive year. Unsurprisingly, the Grand Final between the winning nation and runner-up United States was the most-watched match of the tournament.

Compared to its 2023 iteration, this year’s event performed significantly better in terms of viewership, attracting roughly 140,000 more peak viewers. As such, it has also become the second-most popular Nations Cup of all time, only surpassed by the 2019 edition with 492,700 peak viewers.

Despite the repeated success of the Korean team, the largest audience slice tuned into the Vietnamese broadcast (146,550 peak viewers). The Korean livestream drew in 102,034 peak viewers, followed by the Thai broadcast with 72,269 peak viewers.

The overwhelming majority of PUBG fans watched the event on YouTube (210,326 peak viewers). Other platforms, such as Twitch and Afreeca TV, only saw 70,464 and 45,356 peak viewers, respectively.

Following the Nations Cup’s conclusion, the biggest tournament of the 2024 PUBG competitive calendar is approaching. Featuring a prize pool of $1.5m (~£1.1m), the PUBG Global Championship in Kuala Lumpur will kick off on December 9th. Last year’s edition included sponsors, such as gaming chair manufacturer AndaSeat and technology corporation MSI.