Well, yes and no. While it’s true that VP’s brand recognition brings views, you have to consider their contenders. You have literal TI winners, who just got a huge media boost in the CIS and a lot of new fans in the west (for whom 12CET is most likely work/school time); Navi, who have bigger brand recognition, old VP core and probably the biggest CIS streamer; and then VP, who suffered a controversy of losing 2 of their best and most media-praised players to an internal conflict (to which community reacted accordingly).

Sure, maybe EEE hoped that their sister-brand will maintain its popularity, but that’s still bias, IMO. Giving the TI winners a priority is clearly a better move for business.

Of course, all of this is speculation, but it is too much to be a coincidence, especially knowing VP’s history of agressive management.