League of Legends spring championship in Vancouver attracts 16K viewers

Thousands of screaming fans have filled Vancouver's Pacific Colliseumthis weekend to watch professional video gamers battling for top spot at theLeague of Legends Spring Championship.

About 16,000 people per day are watching the popularmulti-player online game's top players at the arena.

"It's kind of like watching a football game. It's just fun watching something live," said Florence Kwan, who was at the championship on Saturday and has been playing the game for a couple of years.

Worldwide viewership for video game championships like these, known as eSports, now rivals the World Series and the NBA Finals.

In recent years the eSport craze has captured the attention of Amazon, Google, Red Bull and American Express, among other big-name sponsors.

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Audience memberRyley Melnyk flew to Vancouver from Edmonton, Alberta,to watch the championship.

Melnyksaid he was rooting for American team Cloud 9, which was slated to play Team SoloMidfor top spot on Sunday.

"I've been playing the game since 2009, so it's been a huge part of my life," Melnyk said.

This was his first time watching the games live.

"It brings people together," he said. "You're not actually playing, but it's the group factor."

A recentLeague of Legends Championship Series Summer Finals in Toronto filled the Air Canada Centre there last fall.

With files from Brenna Rose