Austin Major Event Boosts Local Economy by $102 Million

International tournament organizer BLAST revealed on Friday that its summer Counter-Strike 2 event, the BLAST.tv Austin Major, had a staggering economic impact of $102 million on the Austin area.

The event attracted 30,248 attendees from outside Texas over its four-day run at the Moody Center, with fans representing 37 countries and all 50 U.S. states.

Beyond boosting local hotels, restaurants, and businesses, BLAST reported that the event generated $46 million in media value for commercial partners, along with an impressive 37 billion brand impressions throughout the competition.

Held from June 19 to 22, the BLAST.tv Austin Major showcased 32 teams vying for a share of a $1.25 million prize pool, culminating in Team Vitality’s victory over The MongolZ with a score of 2-1 in the grand finals.

This major esports event was organized in collaboration with Live Nation, C3 Presents, and the Austin Sports Commission. BLAST emphasized that it was one of the largest esports gatherings ever in the U.S., drawing over 40,000 attendees in person and millions more tuning in online from 105+ territories in more than 30 languages.

Additionally, the BLAST.tv Austin Major recorded an impressive 76.1 million hours of viewing time across 135 hours of airtime, according to data from Esports Charts, making it the most-watched Counter-Strike competition in history at that time.