Esports 2025: 25.16 million hours watched — what it means for the Ukrainian industry
Ukrainian-language streams grew by 30.5% compared with 2024 — these are not just numbers, but a signal of the growing strength of audiences, platforms, and commercial potential. Esports Charts data for LIGA.net explain who watched most often and why.
By Tetiana Suchkova-Ladik
January 6, 2026 · 2 min read
Key points
Ukrainian-language esports broadcasts amassed 25.16 million hours of viewing in 2025 — 30.5% more than in 2024. The largest share went to Counter‑Strike (17.1 million hours), while Dota 2's figures grew by 14.9%. Total broadcast duration was about 11,300 hours, — reports Esports Charts via LIGA.net.
"Ukrainian-language broadcasts accumulated 25.16 million hours of viewing in 2025 — a 30.5% increase compared to the previous year."
— Esports Charts (data for LIGA.net)
Who watched what
The lion's share of the audience remained with Counter‑Strike, but Dota 2 confirmed a recovery in popularity — growth of nearly 15% makes it an important media channel for the industry.
Top tournaments among Ukrainian-language broadcasts were BLAST.tv Austin Major and StarLadder Budapest Major. The NAVI — FaZe semifinal at StarLadder drew over 116,000 concurrent Ukrainian viewers — the second-highest figure in the history of local broadcasts after the PGL Major Copenhagen 2024 final.
Platforms, creators, teams
Among studios, Maincast leads. Among individual streamers the most hours were logged by Mykhailo Lebiga — over 1.38 million. The top ten also included Ghostik, Leniniw and the studio "Kholodtsi", which made the rankings despite pausing operations.
YouTube significantly narrowed the gap with Twitch — an important signal for monetization and the distribution of content beyond traditional streaming platforms.
NAVI matches in 2025 gathered over 133 million hours of viewing across all languages; among teams with Ukrainian players, B8 Esports in CS stood out in particular, debuting at majors and entering the global top‑10 rankings.
The highest peak online of the year — 2,560,000 viewers — came during broadcasts of Mobile Legends matches featuring NAVI's Asian roster.
What this means for Ukraine
These figures are more than entertainment. They reflect the growth of a digital audience ready to consume Ukrainian content, support local studios and streamers, and thus create a market for advertising, sponsorship and investment.
For brands and partners this is a signal: investments in Ukrainian-language broadcasts have the potential for high returns. For talent — an opportunity to grow careers domestically and on the world stage. For platforms — a challenge in the form of competition between YouTube and Twitch for the Ukrainian audience.
Final — briefly on the implications
Esports in 2025 showed that the Ukrainian audience is becoming more visible and organized — an important asset culturally and economically. Now the practical question: can the market, media and state institutions turn these viewings into stable revenues, infrastructure and educational programs for new talent?
