MLG: Winter Arena to be $20 pay-per-view
In a news release written by Major League Gaming CEO Sundance DiGiovanni, it was announced today that the 2012 MLG Winter Arena event will be pay-per-view only, marking the first time the North American-headquartered league has chosen to run such a model. Viewers who wish to watch the tournament will need to pony up $20, which grants each subscriber access to all three days of the event (Friday 5:30pm to midnight, Saturday 1:30pm - 10:00pm and Sunday 1:30pm to 8:00pm) EST. Those who currently own a MLG Gold membership will still need to pay the $20 fee to access MLG's Winter Arena coverage.
Live coverage for the weekend amounts to about 20 hours, which will include broadcasts of every match played throughout the tournament hosted via a total of five streams, all in high definition. Three gameplay streams will be commentated by several up-and-coming casters while the main stream will be hosted by MLG veterans.
Users will also have instant access to VODs, which according to the announcement, will be made available immediately following the conclusion of each match. A new "premium streaming experience" is mentioned, with a link to a demo that anyone can check out.
MLG clarified that the pay-per-view model will not affect the Winter Championship event, which will still be made available free with optional premium packages.
Sundance's letter:
2011 was an incredible year for everyone involved in competitive gaming.The very real growth of the scene is, more than anything else, a direct result of the involvement and support of the community. Our tremendous, passionate fanbase has helped bring eSports to the forefront of sports and entertainment, but we haven’t reached the finish line yet.
2012 is the year where we will push eSports even further and solidify it as a legitimate sustainable business, on par with the most successful leagues in the world. We need your help to make this happen. We need to establish that there is an engaged audience for eSports and demonstrate why everyone (spectators, gamers, marketers and companies) should support the players, the community, and the business of competitive gaming.
Our goal at MLG will always be to give aspiring gamers a platform to compete, while broadcasting that competition to spectators and fans. We have done a good job of delivering a quality broadcast multiple times a year, but now it’s time for us to offer you more: more competition with events like the upcoming Winter Arena, more of the best global competitors like the 32 incredible StarCraft 2 players that we are flying to NYC to compete in a few weeks, more live online broadcasts with a new and enhanced viewing experience, more streams to thoroughly entertain you, and continued Championship events where spectators can interact and experience the scene in person. 2012 is poised to be our best year yet.
With all of these additions comes added cost. For example, it costs roughly $100,000 just for travel, accommodations, and other expenses for all 32 players to get to NYC for our Arena event. We have amazing brands and partners that help cover the fees associated with our new offerings; however, we cannot continue to grow and bring you an expanded competition calendar unless we make some changes to the business model. Today we are rolling out a completely new type of paid product offering that, if well-received, will allow us to dramatically increase the amount of meaningful live competition we broadcast each season. The same basic Championship experience that was free last year will still be available as a free broadcast; so will events like the Online Qualifiers. Some of our completely new offerings, like the Arenas, will be available only by paying a fee. The breakdown is clearly outlined below.
With every new year comes change, and growth, and the chance to do things better and bring you more. If you truly want to support the industry and players, while getting a greater amount of top-quality gameplay, we encourage you to participate in the new MLG Premium offerings. If you want to take your involvement a step further, we are introducing the MLG Referral Program, where members of the industry and community will receive a portion of the proceeds raised from the new Premium Offerings in exchange for spreading the word.
If you have ideas about how we can make MLG even better, we urge you to share them. Our ultimate goal is to keep your (and our) passion for gaming alive, and we can’t do that without your help. We’ve never been more excited about a Pro Circuit season, and while we know there are a lot of new details to absorb, in the end the message is simple. This is the year we bring you the best.
Source: Major League Gaming
