The League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) is about to take another giant leap forward in its quest to bring esports to the mainstream. On September 28th, the 2025 LCK Grand Finals will air live on the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), one of South Korea’s leading terrestrial television networks. This unprecedented move will bring the championship to millions of new viewers and cement the LCK’s place as a national sporting spectacle.
The finals will take place at the Inspire Arena in Incheon, a state-of-the-art venue that recently hosted T1’s Home Ground event. The LCK confirmed that this broadcast deal will not only cover the grand final but could also lead to more collaborative projects with MBC, including special pre-season documentaries. While the lower bracket final on September 27th will remain exclusive to streaming platforms NAVER, SOOP, and YouTube in Korea, the main event’s presence on terrestrial TV marks a landmark achievement for esports visibility in the country.
Why This Is a Big Deal
Until now, the only League of Legends matches to air live on Korean terrestrial television were demonstration games during the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games and esports was not even a medal event at that time. Now, with LCK teams dominating the global stage and the league delivering record-breaking viewership, this moment signifies the full acceptance of competitive gaming as a cultural and sporting force.
The LCK’s popularity has soared thanks to a combination of fierce team rivalries, Korea’s dominance at the League of Legends World Championship, and the enduring star power of Faker, who has committed to stay with T1 until 2029. This broadcast deal follows earlier moves to expand the league’s reach, including a two-year partnership with gaming channel OnGameNet (OGN).
What’s at Stake
The winner of this year’s LCK Grand Finals will not only claim the domestic title but also secure the number one seed for the League of Legends World Championship 2025, set to take place in Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu from October 14th to November 9th. With global pride, massive prize pools, and regional bragging rights on the line, the stakes have never been higher.
This moment is more than just a televised match it is the LCK’s coming-of-age story, a public declaration that esports in Korea is no longer niche, but a cultural powerhouse that belongs on the biggest screens in the country.
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