EWC25: TEKKEN 8 breaks audience record

The TEKKEN 8 stop at the Esports World Cup 2025 (August 13-16 in Riyadh) closed the week as the most-watched tournament in the franchise’s history. It recorded 1.35 million hours watched and a peak of 89,728 simultaneous viewers, with Lim “Ulsan” Soo-hoon crowned for the second consecutive time and a prize pool of $1 million, in a 32-player grid at Boulevard Riyadh City.

The decisive stage was dominated by South Korea, with highly appealing matches already in the second phase, such as the Mulgold vs. ATIF duel, which led the viewing ratings. The increase in audience was not limited to the final.

EWC25 for TEKKEN registered its highest peak during the group stage, a sign that narratives of early elimination of favorites also engage audiences who usually watch on Twitch and YouTube in the late afternoon/evening (ET/PT).

Additionally, consumption is increasing in the regulated gaming market in the United States. 2024 generated $13.78 billion in commercial income from sports betting alone, part of an ecosystem that raised state and local direct taxes on the sector to $15.91 billion, strengthening integrity and oversight standards.

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The competition distributed US$1 million, a record for an EWC series event, and brought together 32 of the world’s best players for four days of brackets and playoffs. Ulsan’s title consolidated a smooth campaign after some very tough games in the second phase, placing him at the top of the franchise’s all-time individual prize rankings.

Collectively, the competitive design, stages with legends in different groups, and all-Korean semifinals helped spread audience peaks throughout the calendar, increasing audience retention and watch time. The data shows that the audience was not the result of a single decisive game.

The Mulgold vs. ATIF match in the second stage (Group D) delivered the highest peak of the tournament. The final between Ulsan and LowHigh ranked “only” third among the most-watched matches, confirming the strength of must-see games in the intermediate stages.

The prominence of South Koreans and Japanese in the final stages led to significant growth in viewing in those languages, with a 339% jump in hours watched in Korean and 44% in Japanese compared to 2024.

In addition, there was an increase of almost 326% in peak viewership in Korea, with the four matches from the semifinals being played by South Korean players. Practically speaking, it’s the combination of official broadcast offerings and a regulated environment that allows viewers to follow and, where state law permits, bet on esports with integrity controls.

In 2024, the growth of the legal sports betting market, with $13.78 billion in revenue and an annual growth of 24.8%, occurred alongside record direct tax income ($15.91 billion) destined for state and local funds. This encourages sponsors, leagues, and organizers to prioritize partnerships within the regulatory framework.

That backdrop supports more stable calendars and improves commercial predictability. The Club Championship adds a long-term narrative to engagement. Ulsan’s win earned DN Freecs 1,000 points, heightening the competition for positions and keeping clubs from different regions on the international public’s radar.

At the top of the table, globally recognized organizations are locked in a tight race for points. The kind of storyline that resonates with the fan base in the US and helps explain viewer peaks distributed throughout the tournament week, not just in the final.

TEKKEN 8’s record at EWC25 came in a year of ecosystem readjustment. The thesis is straightforward: When the competitive product delivers recognizable stories, a high density of relevant matches, and regulatory clarity for US viewers, the audience responds.

The combination of record watch time, significant peaks already in phase 2, and clubs competing for points creates a stable funnel of attention that tends to spill over into other sports on the EWC schedule. Reinforcing the interest of brands and broadcasters in the American window, without relying solely on the final to boost numbers.