For professional speedcubing to truly take off, sponsorship must begin from within the community. Companies like Speed Cube Shop or The Cubicle should lead the charge in supporting this initiative. While I understand that Speed Cube Shop and The Cubicle may not have the massive cash flow to fund such a project independently, larger manufacturers like MoYu or GAN could step in and play a crucial role. Without internal backing, approaching external sponsors becomes significantly more challenging. An outside company might ask, “Why aren’t the companies within the community supporting this?” This could be seen as a red flag, deterring them from investing. Begin with something manageable: a $1,000 top prize, $500 for second place, and smaller incentives like $100 for additional challenges, such as a clean sweep. Surely, one of the local U.S. companies could invest $5,000 total for an event held once a quarter. Once a solid foundation like this is in place, it becomes much easier to approach external sponsors.
The GAN Smartcubing Super League comes to mind as something designed from the ground up for entertainment, with money behind it. I could see a non-cubing sponsor backing them. For anyone else, I think they provide a good reference for the level of investment that you'd need to put into a cubing product for it to appeal to advertisers (and the general public!) I feel like it's going to happen, cubing is trending in that direction, but it still needs a level of dedication and professionalism that's lacking from all but maybe a handful of cubing events.
I'm in the minority here, but I don't like how "growth-oriented" cubing has become. I don't think it should become about money, nor attracting the most amount of viewers, etc. I love cubing as the niche hobby that it is
Valid! I think that if the wca keeps doing their thing regardless of what happens elsewhere then there will always be the chill, grass roots element of it simmering away :)
I definitely think a new league is good idea. I'd say I'm agree with most of what you're saying but the only thing I kinda disagree with is the abolishing of the average of 5 format. Imo monkey league definitely had good moments but a lot of the matches where I wasn't rooting for/interested in either of the competitors felt boring and drawn out. Especially in most cases when one cuber is significantly better than the other, giving them so many solves kinda defeats the competitiveness of it and its pretty much impossible for the lesser cuber to win. Especially in the last monkey league season, it just felt kinda pointless since yiheng was obviously gonna win and the only points anyone else got on him were because of screwups on yihengs end. Still, you could maybe do best 3 of 5 or something like Gan SSL but I do think it's important to not give people too many solves just to keep the skill gaps from showing too much. I also just wanted to say that I feel like Mayernik's streams of the major finals like worlds or nac are much better than you're giving them credit for. I agree that ones of smaller comps where there's only a couple of fast people solving at random stations aren't the best but the streams for worlds, nac, us Nats, etc were like really good honestly. I also felt like Gan ssl was not that great either. Like the story of Tymon going through all the losers brackets and stuff was cool from his perspective but as a viewer imo it was definitely not the case and the format was way too complicated for casual viewing. Anyway, sorry this was a bit long. Thanks for reading, lol.
i enjoyed monkey league. I think it is a "sellable" format. it would need to be polished up a little. I'm not sure the "film yourself at home" would work. I could see something like ML playing on ESPN.
I agree, in its current format it feels like a minimum viable product version of what it could be. Not the finished product, but proof or performance 👍
Great idea acculy. I have had the same idea, and are confident that im not the only one. Wca is super fun and good, but it wont take cubing out to the world. I feel like most non-cubers dont even know that cubing comps exist, some of my friends thought i was joking when i said that i was going to a comp as a example. Of course its hard to force people to look at stuff their not intressed in, but if we just shuffle around the may the comps work they should work at comercial tv, right? I guess its not only i that enjoy watching things that i never, or a few times have tried myself.
Thanks for sharing! For me it’s not about forcing people to watch anything, but about getting it in front of more eyeballs in a way that’s easy to understand and access.
For professional speedcubing to truly take off, sponsorship must begin from within the community. Companies like Speed Cube Shop or The Cubicle should lead the charge in supporting this initiative. While I understand that Speed Cube Shop and The Cubicle may not have the massive cash flow to fund such a project independently, larger manufacturers like MoYu or GAN could step in and play a crucial role. Without internal backing, approaching external sponsors becomes significantly more challenging. An outside company might ask, “Why aren’t the companies within the community supporting this?” This could be seen as a red flag, deterring them from investing.
Begin with something manageable: a $1,000 top prize, $500 for second place, and smaller incentives like $100 for additional challenges, such as a clean sweep. Surely, one of the local U.S. companies could invest $5,000 total for an event held once a quarter. Once a solid foundation like this is in place, it becomes much easier to approach external sponsors.
Yeah I hear what you’re saying, and maybe I wasn’t clear! I think we need both, but the ultimate goal is getting sponsors from outside cubing 👍
Not gonna lie... This hotel studio looks amazing. We need more videos from hotels 😂
Real bro 💯
Haha yeah it’s kinda nice, I’ll miss it! Checked out today, back to reality 🥲
The GAN Smartcubing Super League comes to mind as something designed from the ground up for entertainment, with money behind it. I could see a non-cubing sponsor backing them. For anyone else, I think they provide a good reference for the level of investment that you'd need to put into a cubing product for it to appeal to advertisers (and the general public!) I feel like it's going to happen, cubing is trending in that direction, but it still needs a level of dedication and professionalism that's lacking from all but maybe a handful of cubing events.
Gan SSL provided an amazing blueprint I think
I'm in the minority here, but I don't like how "growth-oriented" cubing has become. I don't think it should become about money, nor attracting the most amount of viewers, etc. I love cubing as the niche hobby that it is
Valid! I think that if the wca keeps doing their thing regardless of what happens elsewhere then there will always be the chill, grass roots element of it simmering away :)
@ haha well said, I hope so.
I definitely think a new league is good idea. I'd say I'm agree with most of what you're saying but the only thing I kinda disagree with is the abolishing of the average of 5 format.
Imo monkey league definitely had good moments but a lot of the matches where I wasn't rooting for/interested in either of the competitors felt boring and drawn out. Especially in most cases when one cuber is significantly better than the other, giving them so many solves kinda defeats the competitiveness of it and its pretty much impossible for the lesser cuber to win.
Especially in the last monkey league season, it just felt kinda pointless since yiheng was obviously gonna win and the only points anyone else got on him were because of screwups on yihengs end.
Still, you could maybe do best 3 of 5 or something like Gan SSL but I do think it's important to not give people too many solves just to keep the skill gaps from showing too much.
I also just wanted to say that I feel like Mayernik's streams of the major finals like worlds or nac are much better than you're giving them credit for. I agree that ones of smaller comps where there's only a couple of fast people solving at random stations aren't the best but the streams for worlds, nac, us Nats, etc were like really good honestly.
I also felt like Gan ssl was not that great either. Like the story of Tymon going through all the losers brackets and stuff was cool from his perspective but as a viewer imo it was definitely not the case and the format was way too complicated for casual viewing.
Anyway, sorry this was a bit long. Thanks for reading, lol.
Haha all good thanks for sharing!
I should start up the Oceanic League again
The more the merrier!
There’s nothing wrong with dreaming big. All success-stories I know started with a daydream. And you’ll never find out if it works if you don’t try.
Preach!
i enjoyed monkey league. I think it is a "sellable" format. it would need to be polished up a little. I'm not sure the "film yourself at home" would work. I could see something like ML playing on ESPN.
I agree, in its current format it feels like a minimum viable product version of what it could be. Not the finished product, but proof or performance 👍
Starting Donkey League rn 👍
lets go great idea!!!!!
Do it!
Tortoise league for senior cubers
May be we should make clubs and tournament we can make teams of 10 and even sign cubers we can make a squad of 20 and 10 cubers playing
Teams is a really interesting idea!
Smart cubes. Best tps. Lowest moves prizes
Great idea acculy. I have had the same idea, and are confident that im not the only one.
Wca is super fun and good, but it wont take cubing out to the world. I feel like most non-cubers dont even know that cubing comps exist, some of my friends thought i was joking when i said that i was going to a comp as a example.
Of course its hard to force people to look at stuff their not intressed in, but if we just shuffle around the may the comps work they should work at comercial tv, right? I guess its not only i that enjoy watching things that i never, or a few times have tried myself.
Thanks for sharing! For me it’s not about forcing people to watch anything, but about getting it in front of more eyeballs in a way that’s easy to understand and access.
First
Proud of u 😅