Ukrainian-language esports broadcasts continue to grow: Results for the first half of 2026

The Ukrainian-language esports broadcasting segment continued its strong growth during the first half of 2026. According to Esports Charts, the average audience increased by nearly 20% compared to the same period last year, while Natus Vincere's Counter-Strike matches at international tournaments once again attracted the largest viewership.

NAVI's successful performances, including two major championship victories, also helped streamer Mykhailo Lebiga set a new personal record for peak Twitch viewership.

"The growth of the Ukrainian-language audience is currently driven by several factors at once. On one hand, there are the successful performances of Ukrainian teams on the international stage, and on the other, the rapid expansion of community casting. Despite a lower number of broadcasts, the average viewership increased by nearly 20%, creating excellent prospects for the continued development of Ukrainian-language esports," said Esports Charts co-founder and CEO Artem Odintsov.

Nearly 15 Million Hours Watched

During the first six months of 2026, Ukrainian-language broadcasts accumulated 14.9 million hours watched, an increase of 11.9% compared to the previous year. At the same time, the total airtime declined slightly due to the tournament calendar.

Average viewership increased by 19.2%, while peak concurrent viewership reached 110.7 thousand during the Natus Vincere vs Team Falcons match at IEM Cologne Major 2026 in Counter-Strike.

March became the strongest month, generating more than 3.35 million hours watched. The main drivers were NAVI's victory at ESL Pro League Season 23 and the team's appearance in the BLAST Open Spring 2026 final.

Viewership also remained strong in June, reaching 3.28 million hours watched, primarily thanks to IEM Cologne Major 2026.

Counter-Strike Continues to Strengthen Its Lead

Twitch remained the leading platform for Ukrainian-language broadcasts, accounting for 58.1% of all hours watched. However, its advantage continues to narrow as YouTube steadily increases its market share.

Counter-Strike remains the undisputed leader among esports titles. Valve's shooter increased its share of total Ukrainian-language esports viewership from 72% to 78.5% over the past year.

Dota 2 remains in second place, although its popularity among the Ukrainian audience continues to decline. Analysts attribute this to the lack of consistently competitive Ukrainian teams, as well as the large number of Russian organizations and players on the professional scene.

Most Popular Tournaments and Matches

IEM Cologne Major 2026 attracted the largest audience, featuring Natus Vincere, B8 Esports, and Ukrainian players competing for international organizations.

The NAVI vs Team Falcons match became the most-watched match of the first half of the year, reaching more than 110,000 peak viewers—the fourth-highest result in the history of Ukrainian-language esports broadcasts.

Second place went to the ESL Pro League Season 23 Grand Final between NAVI and Aurora Gaming, which also surpassed 109,000 peak viewers.

Mykhailo Lebiga played a major role in these results, with his community casts attracting up to 76.4 thousand concurrent viewers and setting a new personal Twitch record.

NAVI Remain Ukraine's Leading Team

Natus Vincere's Counter-Strike roster once again became the most popular team among Ukrainian-language viewers. During the first half of the year, NAVI matches generated 4.48 million hours watched, compared to 2.65 million during the same period a year earlier.

This growth was driven by the team's successful performances, as NAVI reached four international finals and won two championship titles.

Interestingly, NAVI's Dota 2 roster also significantly expanded its audience, increasing from 590 thousand to 1.26 million hours watched. Despite the overall decline in the game's popularity, around 40% of all Ukrainian-language Dota 2 viewership came from NAVI matches.

Maincast and Lebiga Lead the Ukrainian Segment

Maincast's YouTube and Twitch channels once again attracted the largest audience among official broadcasts, combining for more than 9 million hours watched.

Meanwhile, Mykhailo Lebiga became the outright leader in peak concurrent viewership among Ukrainian-language channels. Although he covers only Natus Vincere's biggest matches, his broadcasts consistently attract nearly twice as many viewers as any other Ukrainian-language esports channel.