On Contenders, the Industry, and the Sheer Width of Cracks

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I’ve held off from saying anything so far so as not to overshadow the words of my colleagues Paul and Lafon or the performances of PapaDaka and Oparer who have very much been thrown in the political deep end.

I’m going to be very frank about numbers.

My usual day rate for Contenders is $600. For most T2 talent pay ranges between $500-$700 depending on region and experience level.

I was approached with an offer to cast Contenders KR again, as I have done for the last few years, and was told the production company (WDG) was offering $200 as the day rate.

Now I want to make a few things clear. Firstly, this is a rate set by the production company, NOT Blizzard. In fact, in my communications with Blizzard about this they have agreed that this rate is unacceptably low given the calibre of talent they would like to have on the Contenders KR broadcast.

Secondly, I have been transparent with Blizzard that I will decline at this rate and advise others to decline. I was pleased to learn when I spoke to my immediate colleagues from previous seasons that they had already declined the $200 rate. We’ve come a long way from stepping on each other’s heads in this industry and the solidarity has been heartwarming.

I want to give Blizzard full credit here, they were very candid with me about the pay and appreciated my transparency about approaching other casters to discuss this rate.
I have two reflections to make. Firstly, this is devastatingly poor practice by WDG, who usually handle the Korean Language portion of the Contenders KR broadcast. To offer something so far below parity is an insult. Sadly I don’t speak Korean and haven’t been able to discuss pay with the Korean casters but from what I understand the English-speaking offer is below what the Korean-speaking casters get paid too.

This is appalling.

Sadly, given the production company’s position as the operator of the broadcast including the live arena portion it’s not so easy for Blizzard to make demands of them.

This now is where I’ll cast aspersions toward Blizzard, though they are somewhat reserved. I hope Blizzard learns from this and returns the English-speaking portion of the broadcast to a provider who values the English-speaking broadcast as it is clear the current provider does not.

I will add the caveat that I may have misunderstood the relationships at play here but as far as I can see this is the crux of the matter. WDG are offering $200 a day for casters as they genuinely believe that’s what it’s worth. As fans we should be disgusted.

The second reflection is that I entered this industry more than 10 years ago now and it is a very different place than it was back then. It might not feel like it, especially when things like this happen, but it has improved significantly.

Casters used to routinely snub each other, everything was a race to the bottom. It truly was a crabs-in-a-bucket world for my first few years. I’ve had heavily personal insults delivered to me in so-called feedback sessions from otherwise respected senior casters and from my discussions with other casters this was not unusual at the time. I’ve slaved away unpaid on broadcasts that just about worked the life out of me. I’ve been openly criticised and talked down to by television production crews with no understanding of esports.

The fact that when I reached out to Paul and Lafon both told me they’d turned down the rate and were unwilling to participate in that classic race to the bottom made me realise just how much things have changed.

I’ve been passed over for OWL again. I’m not sure what’s happened in the numerous transitions from talent head to talent head across the years but I know I’ve slipped through the cracks too many times for it to be recoverable. Indeed, last year seeing the bulk of T2 get hired except for me was the clearest sign that I’d been entirely forgotten about. In fact shortly afterwards I had the chance to catch up with Blizzard’s then-head of talent and they told me they’d never heard of me and never knew I’d once signed a contract to cast Korean homestands.

This is all to say I have always wanted to leave the industry better than how I found it. I have made a point to not snub those coming up through the ranks. I have always openly provided feedback and been constructive. I go up to bat for others wherever I can. Most importantly, I am always transparent about rates. Now that it seems the time has come for this leaving I am solidifying my legacy and using my position to affect as much positive change as I can.

I know Blizzard hear our concerns and I’m grateful to be in a position to have such an open dialogue with them. There are so many within Blizzard who have championed me over the years and have pushed for the very internal changes that make a healthier, more equitable competitive scene. I know it may not seem like it at times, but the shift has been magditudinal.

At this point my interest is in shaping Oparer and PapaDaka into the best casters they can be. If they’re the successors for T2 then they should be supported in exactly the way I wish I had been.

I am operating on the assumption that Blizzard will be switching the English-language broadcast away from the current provider at the soonest opportunity, at which point I want to ensure PapaDaka and Oparer are worth the $600 that will be on offer to casters covering Contenders Korea.

I have full faith that they will get there.

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