China abruptly halts broadcast of Korea's LoL... Due to eSports team's mention of Taiwan?

China Suspends Official Broadcast of LCK Pro League
Aftermath of Gen.G's Mention of Taiwan as a Country

China has suspended the official broadcast of South Korea's League of Legends (LoL) professional league. This move by China is analyzed to be a repercussion of a South Korean e-sports team referring to Taiwan as a country.

On the 10th, players and coaches are taking a commemorative photo at the 2024 League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) Spring Opening Media Day held at the LCK Arena in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

On the 29th, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Chinese online gaming platform Huya has not been broadcasting the 2024 LoL Champions Korea (LCK) Spring regular season, which began on the 17th. Huya, which has held exclusive official Chinese-language broadcasting rights for the LCK since 2018, has not responded to requests for comments regarding the broadcasting issue.

China's decision to stop broadcasting the LCK appears to be related to recent remarks made by the South Korean e-sports team 'Gen.G'. Chinese LoL league commentator '957' Ke Changyu also stated that the current situation is connected to Gen.G. Previously, Gen.G posted on their social media that "the Korean chair brand Sidiz, in collaboration with Gen.G, selected Taiwan as the first country to launch their gaming chair," which sparked anger among Chinese netizens. After public backlash, Gen.G apologized for their statement but later retracted the apology, stating they would maintain political neutrality.

SCMP predicted that China's suspension of LCK broadcasts would deal a significant blow to the profitability of global e-sports broadcasting rights, as the global e-sports industry, including the LCK, is already facing profitability challenges. Many Chinese e-sports fans have expressed disappointment over Huya's suspension of LCK broadcasts.

Previously, China has adhered to the "One China" principle, not recognizing Taiwan as a country but considering it a part of China. This suspension of broadcasts is also interpreted as a strong recommendation from the Chinese government to the Korean side regarding its ideological stance.