Riot Games will be shaking up the League of Legends Championship Series broadcast for the upcoming Summer Split, shifting from Monday Night League to Friday Night League, the company announced on Wednesday.
Monday Night League was first introduced ahead of the 2020 Spring Split, which experimentally changed when esports are played. Like most other esports, the LCS was typically played on weekends, until Riot announced its new format. Riot's Monday broadcasts struggled throughout the spring season, never really reaching the viewership that their Saturday and Sunday counterparts did.
"After reviewing community feedback and careful consideration, we decided to move the third day of games from Mondays to Fridays in an effort to better support our fans and their viewing habits this Summer," the development company said in an announcement. "We believe having two high-stakes games on Fridays will better set the stage and the tone for the weekend. In addition, we believe a Friday lineup will better satisfy the needs of fans across multiple time zones."
Riot confirmed that Friday Night League will continue through at least the 2021 Spring Split and that the broadcast will have a "distinct tone and style" similar to its Monday night predecessor.
Monday Night League was the recipient of constant criticism throughout the split for its odd start times that hindered many League of Legends fans from watching the games. Going back to esports' roots as a weekend tradition, the Friday night time slot should make for a much better broadcast, as more fans will be able to stay up to watch the games on Friday nights than they were on Monday nights.
Along with the news of Friday Night League, Riot also announced several other changes to the LCS broadcast. With the schedule change, Riot is moving Academy to Thursdays and Academy Rush to Fridays. Throughout the regular season. Thursdays will bring five Academy games to fans and Fridays will have five Academy games played simultaneously in the Academy Rush format. Riot also mentioned that they'll look to move Academy back to weekends once it's safe to return to the LCS studios, giving the Academy players with valuable stage time.
The LCS returns with the 2020 Summer Split on June 12th, with the regular season ending on August 9th. Playoffs will begin August 13th and last until September 6th. `
Source: LoLEsports