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China Insider

How does a state-run television station save its ratings? By reporting on computer games

A report on a 'League of Legends' competitive team caused a spike of interest in CCTV

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The Royal Club players that competed in 2013's 'League of Legends' World Championships. From left to right: Pun-Wai Lo (from Hong Kong), Xiao Wang (from the mainland), Pak-Kan Wong (from Hong Kong), Liu Junjie (from the mainland) and Jian Zihao (from the mainland). Photo: Royal Club
Jeremy Blum

China’s state-run broadcaster CCTV received a massive viewership boost last week thanks to an unlikely saviour – a report on a group of teenage boys playing League of Legends, a popular computer game.

The report, a documentary entitled “The World of Sports,” focused on e-sports - competitive online gaming centered on teams of players banding against each other for sponsorship, monetary awards and fame.

Successful e-sports tournament winners have won over US$100,000 (HK$776,000) in prizes, and League of Legends, a multiplayer fantasy title featuring several players in an arena setting, is one of the most popular games played.

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'League of Legends' is one of the most commonly-played computer games not only in China, but also worldwide. Photo: Riot Games
'League of Legends' is one of the most commonly-played computer games not only in China, but also worldwide. Photo: Riot Games

CCTV’s documentary focused largely on Royal Club, a Chinese League of Legends team founded in 2012.

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Featuring a rotating squadron of players from the mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong, Royal Club represented China in the League of Legends World Championship in October 2013.

The team performed well in the semi-finals but ultimately lost to South Korean team SK Telecom T1 K in the finals.

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