CS2 is one of the most popular esports, with an outstanding daily average of nearly 1 million players, and the massive popularity of the Majors and other competitions,, with a peak viewership as high as 2.7M viewers.
Be it for entertainment, or because you want to place bets on CS:GO matches, you need access to such events, and this is why we have created this guide, to share with you all the sources where you can watch Counter-Strike 2 esports.
CS2 In-Game
Perhaps you didn’t know it, but you can watch practically all the CS2 Majors and plenty of other relevant tournaments in-game. The only requirement is watching the matches live, but you can always download the demos, and if it’s something that interests you, we have a complete guide about CS:GO demos on our website.
The best part of watching CS2 matches in-game is you will get to enjoy the action in real time without interruptions, and if you don’t mind the lack of social features (nor want to use them because you want to fully focus on the match), it’s the best choice out there. And before we forget about it: it’s completely free to watch the Majors in-game.
About the Viewer Pass
However, if you want the social features while watching the matches in CS2, you need to buy the Viewer Pass, which will cost you from $20 to $50+, but keep in mind that the prices will fluctuate depending on the Major in question.
If you want to upgrade your experience, it’s definitely worth the investment, as it will bring you access to exclusive benefits that you won’t be able to get if you watch the matches for free.
Upon buying and redeeming it, you will get access to the Steam chat flair during the event, as well as extras such as an upgradable event coin, souvenir packages, unlimited graffiti during the Major and access to the Major Pick’Em Challenge.
Follow the Most Recent Matches and Tournaments thanks to CSDB.gg
Evidently, you need to know what’s happening in the world of CS2 so you can catch up with the latest matches and tournaments. Fortunately, here at CSDB.gg, we have a complete calendar of all the CS2 events and tournaments taking place, which you can check here: Counter-Strike Events & Tournaments Calendar.
Unfortunately, it’s not possible to watch all the CS2 matches in-game, since many of them will require you to buy the rights to stream them. For these cases, if you want to watch the esports real-time, you will need to use alternative options, which we’ll discuss below.
HLTV.org
HLTV.org is the best source for watching CS2 esports because it brings you total coverage of all the matches, events, tournaments and leagues. Be it the Majors or smaller and local leagues, HLTV.org puts them at your disposal.
All you need to do is to follow this quick tutorial so you can watch your favorite CS2 matches:
- Visit HLTV.org
- Find the most recent games on the right sidebar labeled “Today’s Matches”
- Click on your preferred match
- Select your favorite stream under “Watch” such as HLTV Live
- Now you can watch your CS2 match live
The best part is you can watch all the matches and events for free. However, keep in mind that HLTV live doesn’t support social features like a chat. You can simply watch the matches and that’s it.
However, if you are mainly interested in watching the matches and learning from them, HLTV.org is the best option out there, especially since it brings the biggest coverage for CS2 esports on the internet.
What Streams Are Available on HLTV.org for CS2?
HLTV.org uses different sources to stream CS2 esports, and here you have an overview on the different options you’ll find on the website:
- HLTV Live
- YouTube
- EPL
- EPL 2
- Relog Media
- Voila
- CCT
- Fonbet CCT
- BetBoom
- Esportstudion
- Mythic League
- Amongst others…
The selection of streams will depend on the match in question, but in the majority of cases, these will be the options available.
For each match, HLTV.org will offer from 2 to 5 different stream options, bringing you the opportunity to choose the best one based on your location, so you can enjoy a seamless and uninterrupted streaming experience.
About HLTV.org and CSGO Match Betting
HLTV.org is also an excellent choice if you’re interested in betting on the CS2 matches and events you’re going to watch. On the same page, you can find a section titled “Betting”, where you can find the odds for each team, as well as odds for a draw.
The selection will vary depending on the match or event, but they usually feature odds from the best CS:GO betting sites nowadays:
- Pinnacle
- CSGOEmpire
- ThunderPick
- 1xBet
- Betway
- GG.bet
- BC.Game
- 22Bet
- Roobet
- UniBet
- Betify
- Amongst others…
Having access to the latest odds, and an environment that will allow you to fully concentrate on the match, is a godsend for CS2 betting. If it sounds like something you need, then HLTV.org is the best choice for you.
The Demo Advantage
An advantage of HLTV.org is you can download demos from previous matches. If you don’t manage to watch your favorite match live, you can always download the demo and execute it in CS2, and you’ll be able to watch it in-game. This is a great opportunity to get a first-row experience of the action and learn from the best players.
Of course, platforms like YouTube also offer the footage and recorded matches, making it a good alternative as well in case you don’t want to bother downloading and executing the demos.
Twitch
When it comes to watching Counter-Strike 2 esports, Twitch is the holy grail. Because the most important competitions, channels and events use this platform to stream CS2 matches, putting them at your entire disposal.
Twitch has a dedicated category to Counter-Strike 2, which you can find here: https://www.twitch.tv/directory/category/counter-strike. It has over 30 million followers, and you can find an enormous influx of matches and events under it. The outstanding number of followers is enough to see why Twitch is the king of CS2 streaming.
Twitch features a large list of channels where you can watch CS2 esports, and here you have an overview:
- ESLCS: 6.3M subscribers
- BLASTPremier: 1.9M subscribers
- PGL: 1.7M subscribers
- StarLadder1: 580K subscribers
- betboom_cs_b: 191K subscribers
- CCT_CS2: 167K subscribers
- PWRDEsports1: 70k subscribers
And many others that cover more local and smaller leagues, events and tournaments. As you can see, Twitch offers an outstanding variety of matches for CS2 fans, and this is why many consider it the best CS2 streaming platform nowadays.
The best thing about Twitch is you can find an excellent mix between Majors, Qualifiers, professional leagues and also local events and matches just for fun. It’s combining all the good features of CS2 in-game and HLTV.org all in one, plus the crazy social features that will take your experience to the next level.
Hence, you will never run out of CS2 esports to match, because Twitch streams CS2 matches 24/7. And just like we mentioned, many are from the most important events, whereas others are for fun, serving plenty of purposes: learning from the best players in the world, real-time action for match betting and having a blast with your friends and other users watching the match.
Furthermore, Twitch is 100% free to use, and in this sense, it’s better than watching the matches in-game. Although it might not have the outstanding coverage of HLTV.org, it’s still the go-to platform for watching CS2 esports for thousands of players around the world.
Do You Need Turbo to Watch CS2 Matches?
No, you don’t need to buy Turbo to watch CS2 matches on Twitch, because as we have already mentioned, you can do it for free. However, if you want to get rid of ads during streams, we recommend you to get it.
You can purchase Twitch Turbo for $11.99 per month. You will be able to watch CS2 esports without ads, you’ll get a much larger selection of emoticons, the possibility to customize the appearance of your username and a nice badge for the chat.
YouTube
YouTube has also become one of the most popular sources for watching Counter-Strike 2 esports, and hence the most important leagues and tournaments are using this platform to stream their matches.
For example, the ESL channel on YouTube has over 1.6M subscribers and it has accumulated over 513M views since 2016. They frequently stream live matches, bringing you access to top-tier CS2 events.
Just like ESL, BLAST Premier also has a YouTube channel, where they have over 550,000 subscribers and they recently streamed the matches of the BLAST Premier: Spring Final 2024, one of the most important tournaments of the year.
We also have Meta, a YouTube channel with over 147,000 subscribers, which is currently streaming the Esports World Cup 2024, bringing you access to another S-Tier event for free. And considering they register from 80,000 to 120,000 per stream, it’s clear thousands of users are choosing YouTube as their go-to option for watching CS2 esports.
When it comes to smaller tournaments, you can also find a fair selection of options to stream such matches, as the MESA TV channel. With over 55,000 subscribers, this channel recently streamed the MESA Nomadic Masters Spring 2024 and IESF ASIAN REGIONAL QUALIFIERS 2024.
As you can see, YouTube is a good choice for watching CS2 esports, as it covers an excellent variety of tournaments and events of all scales.
Is YouTube Better than Twitch or HLTV?
However, when compared to HLTV.org and Twitch, the coverage is not as massive. Yes, it covers all the types of events and matches, and it’s possible to watch the majority of the most important tournaments, but the variety doesn’t compare to what the top CS2 streaming platforms can offer you.
Whereas HLTV.org makes it possible to watch practically any type of event, including very local tournaments and competitions, you might find it hard to find such live streams on YouTube.
Something similar happens when we compare YouTube versus Twitch. For example, ESL has 1.6M subscribers on YT, whereas its Twitch channel has 6.3M. The preferences of the CS2 fans are evident, and it’s because Twitch offers a massive coverage and all the necessary features to have a blast while matching CS2 matches.
YouTube includes a chat function during streams, as well as a comments section for footage, but it’s not as “intense” as on Twitch, and this can be an advantage for many players who simply want to watch the matches and use the chat function sporadically.
Furthermore, YouTube is also a great option if you want to watch the interviews and post-match action of tournaments and events. In this regard, YouTube is a better choice than Twitch or HLTV.org.
Finally, YouTube is the best place for you if you want to watch CS2 esports and also watch tutorials, because you have an outstanding number of high quality creators who share their knowledge and experience for free.
DAZN
It’s also possible to watch Counter-Strike 2 esports on DAZN, one of the most popular live and on-demand sports streaming platforms nowadays. As of now, they’re streaming the Esports World Cup 2024 for free, and all you need is to sign up and create your DAZN account.
When compared to the rest of sources, DAZN offers a limited selection of Counter-Strike events, and at the moment, the only one available is the Esports World Cup.
However, this is a step onto the right direction, because they have created a special section fully dedicated to esports, featuring other options such as Call of Duty Warzone, COD Modern Warfare 3, Fortnite, Rainbow Six, Apex Legends and Overwatch 2.
A New Player Expected to Become a Giant
Therefore, we can expect DAZN to stream more Counter-Strike tournaments and events in the near future, because the demand for this type of content only keeps growing. Because the worldwide esports industry features an annual growth rate of 7.10%, which will allow it to reach a market volume of US$5.7bn by 2028.
Likewise, esports betting is projected to generate a revenue of US$2.5bn in 2024, and many of the bettors want to have live and on-demand access to different CS:GO matches, events and tournaments. DAZN is aware of this, and this is why they have started delivering what this audience demands by streaming the Esports World Cup 2024.
With such a bright future ahead, it’s a smart bet by DAZN to start streaming CS:GO and esports events and tournaments, because the interest in them will only keep rising in the coming years.
Kick
Kick has been growing tremendously since 2023, because it has jumped from just 21,000 average viewers to 756,000 in just one year. This tremendous growth rate has also made it a choice for watching CS2 esports.
Although Kick doesn’t feature the biggest and most important tournaments and leagues of Counter-Strike, it’s a good option if you’re interested in watching matches from players just like you.
On Kick you can find channels such as RoniCS2, atadogann, GordoReally, Vector, SionAron, and many others, who stream Counter-Strike matches on a regular basis. However, the number of available streams is quite small in comparison to Twitch.
While it’s not possible to bet on these matches, since they’re mainly just for fun, it’s an excellent source of entertainment since you can engage with the streamers and the community, and learn a thing or two from these players.
About CS:GO Gambling Streams and Kick
It’s also important to note that some channels on Kick also stream CS:GO gambling every now and then, adding a fun twist to the show. You can see streamers play different CS:GO games such as Crash, Case Opening, Plinko, Roll, amongst others.
And this is an area where it’s better than Twitch at the moment, because the most popular esports streaming platform banned gambling on sites not licensed in the US or other jurisdictions that guarantee enough consumer protection.
Evidently, we have put Kick near to the end of this ranking because it’s not the best choice for watching CS2 esports, due to the lack of coverage, unlike Twitch which is the best platform for streaming matches, leagues and tournaments of Counter-Strike.
One of the largest social media networks is also one of the sources for watching CS2 matches and tournaments. It all began when Facebook became the main broadcast partner of the Electronic Sports League in 2018, and since then it has become an option for streaming some CS2 events.
For example, the Facebook page Focus Fire Gaming has been broadcasting the Esports World Cup 2024. One of the main advantages is users can watch the streams for free, and they can engage in the comment section, making the most out of the social features of the platform. However, it doesn’t compare to what Twitch can offer, or even CS2 in-game if you buy the Viewer Pass.
However, despite the adoption rate has been growing steadily, it’s still pretty small, especially when compared to Twitch and YouTube. And this is confirmed when we see that one of the most popular channels, ESL, hasn’t streamed or published a complete match since 2019. Whereas on YouTube the ESL channel has over 1.6M subscribers and they stream frequently.
We have placed Facebook in last place because we don’t consider it a good source for watching CS2 esports, due to the lack of coverage and activity.
How to Choose the Best CS2 Streaming Platform For You
If you are still not sure on what platform to choose to watch CS2 esports, we are here to help you. Here you have a compelling overview and comparison on all the streaming platforms available.
| CS2 in-game | HLTV | Twitch | YouTube | DAZN | Kick | ||
| Price | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Coverage Rating | 2/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 1/5 | 1/5 |
| Majors | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| S-Tier Events | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| A-Tier Events | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| B-Tier Events | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| C-Tier Events | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Qualifiers | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Monthly Events | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Weekly Events | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Show Matches | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Female Only Events | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Matches for Fun | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Chat Available | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Betting Odds Display | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| Gambling Content Allowed | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
Before you go ahead and make a decision, you need to take the following facts into account:
- While watching the Majors in-game is free, you need to buy the Viewer Pass if you want to unlock the chat function, which is a non-negotiable for many users who want to boost their streaming experience
- It’s possible to watch other types of events in-game, but it won’t be live, because the unique way to accomplish this is by downloading a demo and executing it in CS2, which completely diminishes the live streaming experience
- Twitch has become pretty restrictive when it comes to gambling content, but they will still allow it if the promoted site is licensed in the US or an equivalent jurisdiction that can guarantee consumer protection
- Twitch allows you to watch CS2 matches for free, but you will also have to watch ads, and the unique way to get rid of them is by buying the Turbo subscription
- YouTube covers all the types of CS2 events, but it can be unreliable at times because you might not find a live stream, this is why we have rated it ⅗, because its coverage is not as big as Twitch’s or HLTV’s
- We have marked that DAZN and Facebook cover S-Tier events, but the only tournament they’re currently streaming is the Esports World Cup 2024, because other than that, they don’t feature any other similar event
Now that you have all of this information at your disposal, it should be pretty easy for you to choose your ideal platform. But if you want our advice, we recommend you to pick 2 or more, and don’t forget to put Twitch and HLTV.org at the top of it, because they’re the best choices available nowadays, and they are 100% free.
What Are the Most Important Tournaments and Events to Watch CS2 Esports?
Now that you know what sources you can use to watch CS2 esports, it’s also important to talk about the tournaments and events you should keep an eye on. Here you have the full list:
Major Tournaments (Valve Events)
- Include all the Majors
- Sanctioned, sponsored, and supervised by Valve
- Occur twice a year, hosted on LAN
- Feature the best CS teams globally
- Prize pools as high as $1,250,000
- Highest viewership and bet volumes
S-Tier Tournaments
- Second most important after Valve Events
- Include BLAST Premier, ESL Pro League, Intel Extreme Masters, etc.
- Prize pools: $200,000 to $1,000,000
- Hosted by prestigious operators like Intel, BLAST, ESL
A-Tier Tournaments
- Include ESL Challenger, RES Regional Series, ESL Impact League
- Feature top-level teams and players
- Can serve as qualifiers for Major Championships
B-Tier Tournaments
- Feature top tier 2 teams
- Can be LAN or online
- Include IESF World Esports Championship, ESL Challenger League, RES European Series
- Some serve as qualifiers for Major Championships
C-Tier Tournaments
- Feature new, emerging teams
- Smaller prize pools, mostly hosted online
- Include DACH CS Masters, Dust2.dk Ligaen, Dust2 Brasil Liga, YGames PRO Series
Qualifiers
- For access to top tier competitions like B-Tier and A-Tier
- Include NA Revival Cup, Tele2 Gaming, IESF World Esports Championship (Qualifier)
- Rarely offer prize pools, mostly played online
Monthly Events
- Regularly occurring, last one full month
- Feature emerging teams, smaller prize pools ($1,000 to $20,000)
- Include 500 Casino League, Gamers Club Liga Série, FACEIT Pro League
Weekly Events
- Happen frequently, last one full week
- Smaller prize pools ($500 to $20,000), mostly online
- Include ESL Impact Cash Cup Oceania, ESL Impact Cash Cup South America
Show Matches
- One-off events, 2-4 times per year
- Prize pools: $2,000 to $10,000
- Feature top teams and players
Female Only Events
- Only female participants
- Can be A-Tier, B-Tier, or C-Tier.
- Prize pools range from $500 to over $100,000
- Include IESF Female World Esports Championship, DouyuTV Take Aim! Goddess
More Matches Available
In addition to all of these categories, you’ll also find plenty of matches just for fun on all the sources we have listed in this article, bringing you 24/7 coverage of CS2 esports throughout the year.
This is everything you need to start watching CS2 esports, be it to learn from the pros, bet on the matches or just have fun.
Conclusion
Now you know about all the available sources for watching CS2 esports online, and which ones are the best platforms to enjoy a superb streaming experience, be it you just want to stream the matches or if you’d like to get access to exclusive features such as betting odds or live chat.
If you need extra help on picking the right option for watching CS:GO matches, feel free to leave a comment below. We will get back to you as soon as possible.
