Injunction Rejected → Season 2 Proceeds; 'Bulkkot Baseball' Surpasses 1 Million Subscribers "Thank You" [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

Studio C1, the production company behind 'Bulkkot Baseball', has surpassed 1 million YouTube subscribers.

On the 10th, PD Jang Si-won of Studio C1 celebrated the milestone with a message: "This is thanks to everyone. Thank you."

'Bulkkot Baseball' is a content project launched independently by Studio C1, which had drawn attention due to a copyright dispute with JTBC over the 'Strongest Baseball' format.

Previously, in December 2025, JTBC filed for an injunction against Studio C1 to prohibit copyright infringement and unfair competition. The court ruled to ban the production and transmission of 'Bulkkot Baseball' videos and related sequential content. Although Studio C1 submitted an objection, it was ultimately rejected.

However, Studio C1 appealed the decision and proceeded with production of Season 2.

'Strongest Baseball' is a real sports entertainment program where retired professional baseball players form teams and challenge themselves in baseball again. Since its first broadcast in June 2022, it has maintained a solid fanbase and continued airing for over two years. However, after conflicts with JTBC, the outsourced production company Studio C1 withdrew from 'Strongest Baseball' and launched 'Bulkkot Baseball' with existing cast members including Lee Dae-ho, Park Yong-taek, and Jeong Geun-woo. Meanwhile, JTBC returned in September 2025 with a new season featuring a revamped cast and production team.

As part of the team restructuring, 'Strongest Baseball' appointed then-KT Wiz coach Lee Jong-beom as the new head coach and changed the team name to 'Breakers', but it experienced fluctuations in viewership ratings. In contrast, 'Bulkkot Baseball' maintained its existing fanbase under Studio C1's independent production and continued to receive support despite legal disadvantages.

The conflict between both parties emerged as early as early 2025. At that time, JTBC claimed that Studio C1 had demanded excessive production fees and refused to disclose financial records, while Studio C1 countered that structurally overcharging for production was impossible.

JTBC filed criminal complaints against Studio C1 and PD Jang Si-won for violations of the Copyright Act and Trademark Act, as well as breach of trust in business operations, and also submitted an application for an injunction to prohibit the production, sale, and distribution of 'Bulkkot Baseball'. In December 2025, the court ruled in favor of JTBC, stating that "producing and transmitting 'Bulkkot Baseball', which implies it is a sequel to 'Strongest Baseball', constitutes unfair competition under Article 2, Section 1 of the Unfair Competition Prevention Act," and issued a decision banning the production of 'Bulkkot Baseball' and the release of related content.

In response, Studio C1 refuted some claims, arguing that not all allegations were accepted, and attempted to release content afterward but ultimately deleted the main episodes. JTBC clearly stated that it would take immediate additional legal action if a new season of 'Bulkkot Baseball' were released. It also warned: "Even after the injunction decision, actions such as releasing sequential episodes to circumvent the law will be subject to strict legal judgment in the main lawsuit."

According to the court ruling, all currently released episodes of 'Bulkkot Baseball', along with any content corresponding to the same season or sequential episodes that display the title 'Bulkkot Baseball' or feature a team named 'Firefighters' (불꽃파이터즈), are prohibited from being produced, transmitted, sold, distributed, or disseminated.

The 'Bulkkot Baseball' side, seemingly aware of the court's injunction decision, deleted all main episodes uploaded to YouTube but immediately declared its intention to proceed with Season 2 production. On its official YouTube channel, it posted a video titled "Live Game Second Online Photo Exhibition" and stated: "This injunction decision is a provisional judgment regarding this season's broadcast content," adding that "'Bulkkot Baseball' Season 2 will be produced."

In response, JTBC strongly criticized the move, stating: "The court clearly determined that 'Bulkkot Baseball' is illegal content that unauthorizedly used the achievements of 'Strongest Baseball', which was built with JTBC's investment, and issued a prohibition order. Despite this, Studio C1 is attempting to obscure the essence of its illegal act by changing the season name."

It further warned: "If a new season of Bulkkot Baseball is released, we will take immediate legal action. Actions such as releasing sequential episodes after the injunction decision to cleverly evade the law will be subject to strict legal judgment in the main lawsuit. We must remember that even though it has already been clearly revealed as illegal, pursuing profits through every possible trick and trying to portray oneself as a legitimate actor by riding on fan sentiment will only aggravate legal liability."

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*This content was translated by AI.