League of Legends Worlds 2022 Grand Finals ‘T1 vs DRX’ wins Emmy Award for Esports Coverage
The League of Legends Worlds 2022 Grand Finals between T1 and DRX has won an Emmy Award in the Outstanding Esports Championship Coverage category. This award was received during the 44th edition of the Sports Awards and recognizes the best in American sports television coverage in 2022. Worlds 2022 was held in America, with the tournament moving from Mexico City (Play-In) to Madison Square Garden (Groups/ Quarterfinals) to the State Farm Arena (Semifinals) and finally Chase Center (Grand Finals).
History and Weight of the Award
The Sports Emmy Award, as always, presented by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), is presented as a form of recognition of excellence in American sports television programming. This includes sports-related television series, live coverages of sporting events and even sports announcers. Originally an award connected to the Primetime Emmys, a tradition that began in 1950, it evolved in 1979 into an Emmys exclusively for sports coverages.
The Outstanding Esports Coverage award, which Riot Games won this year, is a fairly new category that dates back 4 years to the 41st edition of the Sports Awards back in 2020. Out of the four Emmys that have come since then, Riot has been awarded three of them. One of the Worlds 2019 Grand Finals between G2 Esports and FunPlus Phoenix (2020), another for Worlds 2020 Grand Finals between DAMWON and Suning (2021), and the latest one for Worlds 2022 Grand Finals between T1 and DRX (2023).
Riot Games was also nominated in 2022 for the Worlds 2021 Grand Finals between DAMWON KIA and EDward Gaming, however, lost to Valve’s The International 10 (finals between PSG.LGD and Team Spirit)
The Super Bowl of Esports
Recognized as the fastest growing esports title, Riot Games’ 15 year old MOBA, League of Legends continues to dominate the charts in terms of size and grandeur when celebrating the best of esports. The annual culmination of the world’s best League of Legends teams, dubbed Worlds, has often been equated as the ‘Super Bowl of Esports.’
Sold out State Farm Arena, Atlanta. Credit: State FarmThe 2022 Worlds Championship peaked at a whopping 5 million viewers (and a 142 million hours watched) during the Grand Finals, landing it as the most viewed esports title in 2022. By contrast, the 2nd and 3rd most popular PC/Console esports titles of 2022 were Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Dota 2. The former peaked at 2 million viewers and the latter at 1.7 million. League had more than double either of these titles in 2022. Even in 2023, League of Legends continues to be the most watched PC/Console esports title, currently peaking at 2.3 million viewers.
Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot GamesRegular performances by popular and well-known artists such as Imagine Dragons, Zedd, and Lil Nas X, along with collaborations with brands such as Louis Vuitton and Tiffany and Co. match the scale of what Riot Games is trying to achieve, a true celebration of esports with the size and grandeur of traditional sports events (and we’re getting closer and closer).
Love of the Fans, Love for the Game
Everyday we’ll moan and groan about the unbalanced nature of certain aspects of it, and yet without fail, logging into Summoner’s Rift presents a thrill unlike many others. Similarly, we may criticize esports teams and organizations and players, but the passion for an esports title like League of Legends is undeniable in the massive turnout each time for the tournaments. This latest Emmy Award win symbolizes the continued support and growth of the esports industry, fueled by its passionate fans.
Moreover, this win was particularly special for so many fans because of the incredible hometown storyline between T1's Lee “Faker” San-hyeok and DRX's Kim “Deft” Hyuk-kyu.
League of Legends fans reacting to Emmy Win on Reddit.
All statistics taken from Esports Charts. Nominations and Winners fact-checked on Emmy Awards official website.
Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games