Son Jichang Supports "Bulkkot Baseball" ... "Court Ruling Is Silent Pressure to Surrender to Broadcasters"

Son Jichang Criticizes Court While Supporting "Bulkkot Baseball"
"Can the Viewing Rights of Countless Viewers Be Ignored?"
"Discourages the Will to Produce Quality Content"

The JTBC baseball variety show "Choegang Baseball," which has been beloved by fans, and Studio C1's YouTube entertainment show "Bulkkot Baseball" are both facing extreme situations-rumors of cancellation for the former and "video deletion" for the latter. Amidst this, actor Son Jichang has publicly expressed his support for "Bulkkot Baseball" and encouraged the continued production of the program.

Studio C1's YouTube entertainment show "Bulkkot Baseball" faced a "video deletion" outcome following a court ruling, while actor Son Jichang publicly supported "Bulkkot Baseball" and encouraged the continued production of the program on Instagram.

On January 9, Son Jichang expressed his concerns about the recent court ruling on his social media, stating, "I feel empty and anxious at the thought that I might not be able to watch 'Bulkkot Baseball' anymore." He questioned, "If that's the case, does it mean the viewing rights of countless viewers can simply be ignored?" thereby raising issues about the program's future.

Son Jichang explained, "The reason I like 'Bulkkot Baseball' is not just because of the miraculous performances and stories created by retired players." He continued, "There are many reasons, such as the excellent diction of caster Jung Yonggeom, the witty banter of commentator Kim Sunwoo, the brilliant captions by writers who truly understand baseball, the exquisite editing, and the appropriate background music. But ultimately, the person who brought all these elements together is Producer Jang Siwon."

He added, "Just like chefs who create completely different dishes with the same ingredients, Producer Jang's passion and knowledge for baseball have resulted in a work that cannot be compared to similar content from other broadcasters. Over the past year, this has been evident in ratings and sold-out seats for live games." He thus expressed his support for "Bulkkot Baseball" and Producer Jang.

Nevertheless, Son Jichang argued, "If the same verdict is reached in the second trial, it will impose silent pressure on production companies to unconditionally comply with broadcasters' demands, regardless of the reasons." He warned, "This will dampen the enthusiasm to produce quality content and ultimately result in a tremendous loss for Korea's cultural industry."

Posters of the baseball variety shows "The Strongest Baseball" and "Fire Baseball." JTBC, Studio C1

"Bulkkot Baseball" is a new content project launched by the production staff and cast of JTBC's "Choegang Baseball," who left JTBC after successfully completing three seasons. In response, JTBC raised issues of copyright and unfair competition and took legal action. On December 19, 2025, the Seoul Central District Court's Civil Division 60 upheld JTBC's request for an injunction against Studio C1, citing copyright infringement and unfair competition related to "Choegang Baseball."

As a result, the court restricted further production and distribution of videos featuring the name "Bulkkot Baseball" or its team members, including episodes that had already been released. In response, Studio C1 announced through its YouTube channel, "This decision is a temporary measure, not a final ruling, and applies only to season 1 videos," and revealed plans to proceed with the production of "Bulkkot Baseball" season 2.

Meanwhile, after Studio C1's departure, "Choegang Baseball" was reorganized with a new production team and cast, but its ratings have plummeted to below 1%, leading to rumors of cancellation. However, JTBC stated, "The 2025 season will be completed," adding, "It is not a cancellation, and discussions about the show's future are ongoing."