Flashpoint's MonteCristo blasts Overwatch League viewership

Olivia Richman Published 13/04/2020

Esports caster Christopher “MonteCristo” Mykles couldn’t help but diss the Overwatch League for its low viewership.

“One of the best skills you can hone in your career is knowing when to just get the fuck out,” Monte tweeted.

Attached to the tweet were two photos, one of the OWL broadcast and one of Flashpoint. He had the viewership highlighted, making it abundantly clear that Overwatch League wasn’t getting as many views as the new Counter-Strike league was.

One of the best skills you can hone in your career is knowing when to just get the fuck out. pic.twitter.com/k1PmN5DAvw
— MonteCristo (@MonteCristo) April 12, 2020

The replies to his tweet were varied, with many people wishing he would stop bashing the Overwatch League and “burning bridges.” One follower even joked that it sounded like someone “obsessed with their ex.” Another said Blizzard was “saving money” by “living rent free” in MonteCristo’s mind.

But MonteCristo probably has no intention of keeping relations with Blizzard at this point.

MonteCristo previously casted for Overwatch League during the 2019 season, but joined the new CSGO league owned by organizations such as Cloud9 and Immortals. His reason for leaving the Overwatch League had less to do with excitement for Flashpoint and more to do with a dislike for Blizzard’s new leadership. He had previously stated that former OWL commissioner Nate Nanzer leaving the OWL “led to irreconcilable creative and philosophical differences between [himself] and the league’s current leadership, and all parties will be better served by parting ways.”

It was later revealed by fellow ex-Overwatch League caster Malik Forte that Blizzard had refused to give broadcast talent pay raises ahead the 2020 season despite increased travel demands. Without Nanzer to advocate for them, many of Overwatch’s broadcast talent felt that their needs weren’t being met and their voices weren’t being heard.

Overwatch League sees drop in viewership

While MonteCristo was likely being petty, he wasn’t wrong that the Overwatch League has seen a significant drop in viewership this season. This is most likely due to their league’s decision to air exclusively on YouTube.

While this sounds good, it ignores the franchise fees, production costs, extensive personnel costs, and more.@slasher is one of the worst people to listen to about esports business. He has zero experience on the business side of the industry. https://t.co/RBCn3Yybim
— MonteCristo (@MonteCristo) April 12, 2020

Unlike on Twitch, OWL viewers on YouTube can’t earn tokens that unlock in-game skins. There’s also no ability to clip hype moments throughout the match, and there’s no All Access Pass to let viewers watch the game from multiple pro players’ perspectives. The lack of interaction and drops hasn’t made YouTube the most exciting option for Overwatch League fans.

Esports insider Rod “Slasher” Breslau decided to play devil’s advocate and answer MonteCristo with the fact that Overwatch League and Call of Duty League sold broadcast rights to YouTube for $160 million for three years. Flashpoint has yet to see any lucrative deals like that.

MonteCristo wasn’t having it.

“While this sounds good, it ignores the franchise fees, production costs, extensive personnel costs, and more,” he tweeted back.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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