London-based investment firm London & Partners claims that the League of Legends World Championship Finals (Worlds 2024) taking place at the O2 Arena in London this weekend will have an overall impact of £12M GBP, or $15.5M USD.
That claim was part of an announcement on Friday by the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who welcomed fans and the industry to the city in advance of the finals taking place on Saturday between T1 and BLG in a best-of-five competition to determine the 2024 World Champions. Prior to that Final, Riot will host an opening ceremony presented by Mastercard featuring performances by Ashnikko, Mars Atlas of Forts, Tiffany Aris, and Linkin Park.
“I am delighted that the League of Legends World Championship finals are taking place in the capital this weekend,” Mayor Khan said in an announcement. “The event brings together gamers and fans from across the globe, boosting our economy by £12m and showing that London is a leading destination for sports and esports. Gaming is a hugely exciting and fast growing industry, and I will continue to do all I can to support its development and growth in the capital, as we build a better London for everyone.”
The announcement also noted that tickets at the O2 Arena were sold out, though some complained that many were purchased by scalpers and were being sold on secondary markets. The O2 Arena had about 14,500 seats available for Worlds 2024.
In the announcement, it is noted that London & Partners based this estimated figure on “confidential economic impact evaluations of previous League of Legends events.”
Riot announced earlier this month that Worlds 2025 will take place in Chengdu, China.
Editor’s note: The figure in U.S. dollars is based on a conversion rate of £1 (GBP) = $1.292741 USD as of Nov. 1, 2024.