MLG.tv’s e-sports audience is growing — up 253 percent so far in 2015

It’s only a matter of time before someone plans a major heist to knock off one of these big gaming tournaments. I mean, that’s where all the cash is.

Just look at Major League Gaming. Its video site, MLG.tv, is doing better than ever. The company reported that its viewership was up 253 percent year over year in the first quarter of this year. That’s some rapid growth for a platform that is only around 16 months old. The e-sports organization, which holds regular tournaments on MLG.tv, says that its audience grows by around 70 percent every quarter. From January through March, fans watched more hours of video than in the previous two quarters combined. Capturing that kind of attention from fans of pro gaming is important because that market will likely reach $500 million by 2017, according to analyst. While MLG.tv isn’t sharing its exact numbers, the site makes up a significant portion of e-sports’ millions of viewers even if it doesn’t quite match the size of something like Twitch.