The first match of the 2026 AT&T Annihilator Cup concluded on May 8, becoming the first event in the series to reach 200,000 concurrent viewers, according to Esports Charts.
THE AT&T Annihilator Cup Series brings together some of the most famous content creators from around the world. They are divided into teams and compete across numerous esports titles, with a total of $200,000 up for grabs for teams and competitors.
How did the AT&T Annihilator Cup 2026 for Call of Duty break the series record?
THE 2026 A&T Annihilator Cup for COD became the series’ most popular tournament to date, becoming the first event in the series to surpass the peak of 200,000 viewers. The closest event to reaching this mark was when the 2025 League of Legends competition reached 199,914 Peak Viewers (PV).
The presence of top content creators and influencers has certainly helped attract more viewers. Many of these participants had made names for themselves by proving their mettle in various video games, and the interest in watching them compete among fans and other streamers proved to be a viewership driver.
In fact, compared to the four events held last year, only one could match the number of channels that live-streamed the first tournament of 2026. In total, 43 channels covered the action, including non-participating creators like Thomas.zoom“Paparatto and Anthony”shotzzy“Cuevas-Castro.
What was the most popular channel to live stream AT&T Annihilator Cup 2026 for Call of Duty?
Winning captain TheBurntPeanut was by far the most sought after creator to stream the matches. His streams on Twitch and YouTube have surpassed all other co-casters, reiterating the Virtual YouTuber’s (VTuber) position as one of the biggest names in gaming and entertainment content today.
Emilie “Emir“Schunk, another popular Twitch star who made a name for herself playing games like LoL and World of Warcraft, was the second most popular streamer. Her match coverage at this event peaked at 13,669 viewers, just above Scump and Jaryd.”Summit1g“Lazarus.
What happened at the AT&T Annihilator Cup 2026 for Call of Duty?
The first tournament of this year’s edition saw four teams of five streamers each compete in the legendary shooter Call of Duty. The Peanut team, made up of The burnt peanutYiliang”Double lifting“Peng, Bryce”HutchMF“Hutchinson, Matthew”Nadeshot“Haag and Yvonne”Yvonnie“Ng, came out on top here.
The team won 20 points and quickly took the lead in the brand new table. Former COD pro Seth’s performanceDear“Abner was notable, as he posted a K/D stat of 3.53 at the end of the event, but was unable to lead his team, led by Ludwig.”Louis“Ahgren, to victory.
Nonetheless, Scump’s glistening screens helped competitive Call of Duty to the 2026 A&T Annihilator Cup record 227,526 (PV), according to data from Esports Charts. The Optic Gaming creator also ranked among the four most popular names to co-stream the action.
What’s next for the 2026 AT&T Annihilator Cup?
The next event in the AT&T Annihilator Cup 2026 is League of Legends. Since the event only takes place on Thursdays, this tournament will take place on May 14 at 7 p.m. ET.
The format is the same as the COD event, as the four teams will compete in a series of round-robin matches. The top two teams from the round robin will face off in a finals match to determine the winner, with points based on their final position added to the overall table.
Header image via AT&T
FAQs
What was the peak audience for the Call of Duty AT&T Annihilator Cup 2026 tournament?
The AT&T Annihilator Cup 2026 for Call of Duty reached a record audience of 227,526 people.
Q: Which team won the Call of Duty tournament at AT&T Annihilator Cup 2026?
Team Peanut, led by TheBurntPeanut, won the AT&T Annihilator Cup 2026 Call of Duty tournament.
Who were the most popular streamers covering the AT&T Annihilator Cup 2026 Call of Duty event?
TheBurntPeanut was the most popular streamer, with Emiru being the second most popular with 13,669 peak viewers.
What is the total prize pool for the AT&T Annihilator Cup Series?
The AT&T Annihilator Cup Series offers a total prize pool of $200,000 for teams and competitors.
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