KeSPA response to EN broadcast + PL on Twitch.TV - Page 8

On December 06 2012 21:52 DoA wrote:
I just got hit with some pretty hard to take news. OnGameNet will not be broadcasting the SK Planet Proleague this season in English. As that sinks in, let me elaborate on exactly why this is and where we're at now.

Basically for a while now KeSPA has been preparing their own broadcasting platform (IEG, which is owned by KeSPA) to presumably run events from. KeSPA's had a long history of doing their best to control everything that goes on in Korean esports so it's not shocking that they'd want to get into actually running the broadcasts as well. Proleague in fact is a result of KeSPA threatening to pull their players from both OGN and MBC's individual leagues if they didn't give up their respective team leagues and broadcast Proleague instead.

This season KeSPA decided to run their own Proleague broadcast initially on weekdays, while OGN ran the weekend broadcast. As far as I know about a week ago KeSPA approached OGN and told them that they'd be running their own stream simultaneously with OGN's on weekends as well. They'd also be sending a commentator they had picked themselves to tri-cast with Monte Cristo and I. Naturally OGN was upset about this and Monte and I were a bit reluctant to tri-cast with someone we'd never worked with before. OGN went back to have talks yesterday and today with KeSPA and things did not go well. KeSPA has also been approaching english casters about the job, but so far none have accepted that I'm aware of. Not surprising.

As of right now OGN will not be involved with Proleague at any level for an English broadcast as far as I'm aware. All the preparation by the staff here over the last few months is now for nothing. Needless to say I'm crushed. I'm enjoying LoL, but I came back to Korea to cast Starcraft 2. We've still got OSL (which OGN owns), but SC2 team leagues are basically my favorite thing in the entire world and now that's gone.

So what do we get as fans of Proleague now? I still want to see these matches as much as anyone, but I'm frankly tired of KeSPA's lame ploys to try to keep control over something they never should have been in control if in the first place. For me it certainly sours the mood for what will be an epic first match between KT and EG.TL. I don't have any information about EIG's streams or when the broadcasts will be. If I find out I'll tell people. As hard as all this is to take, I want you guys to be able to watch if you want to.

Is there a possibility things might change? Possibly. If KeSPA feels enough pressure they might bend. I'm certainly going to do everything I can. What I'm not going to do is tell you to boycott Proleague. That's your choice and I don't have any business telling you not to watch a game and players that you love because of idiotic corporate politics that you aren't a part of and frankly don't deserve to be hurt by. I feel it's important people know what's going on behind the scenes sometimes, but it's best to focus on the game.

That's all I've got for now. If I get any updates I'll pass them on via my twitter. (@ggdoa)

Apparently MLG might be involved in some way with an English broadcast per MLG Lee's Twitter? If that's the case then I wish them the best of luck and a great season.