Rumor: TSM may change region to LEC

According to several reputable sources, including Dexerto and Dot Esports, North American esports organization TSM, which is the leader of League of Legends in its region, recently explored the possibility of selling its franchised slot in the LCS.

According to people familiar with TSM's business dealings, the discussions were fueled by a number of factors, including lower costs for the club's esports projects, the level of competition in the North American region, and the declining popularity of North American League of Legends in general.

Similar discussions were also driven by the possibility of acquiring a recently sold Misfits franchise slot in the LEC. A source familiar with the deal stated that TSM made several preliminary inquiries about how much it would cost before Team Heretics completed the deal for a reported fee of $45-50.

Another source, who spoke to Dexerto on condition of anonymity, made it clear that TSM has no plans to leave League of Legends, but is considering moving to the LEC. The main reason for the transition to the European league is the decline in the popularity of the LCS: the peak number of viewers of the LCS Spring 2022 was 387 thousand people, while the LEC Spring 2022 had 723 thousand people. At the same time, the difference is also observed in other indicators of the popularity of the championships.

TSM has not come to a final decision at this time. According to Dexerto, these discussions were part of a series of ideas being explored by the club in an attempt to stay on top. Given the budget cuts, in the near future the organization may abandon some of the esports disciplines.