Call of Duty League to return to YouTube Gaming for next season

According to reports published in recent hours, the Call of Duty League is very close to announcing that it will leave the Twitch broadcasting platform to return to what was its home for three seasons, YouTube Gaming.

This information comes after, about four months ago, some rumors began about the CDL leaving Twitch to return exclusively to YouTube. However, there is currently different information, so we must wait for the CDL to announce it officially.

CDL leaves Twitch and returns to YouTube Gaming

According to the web portal Dexerto, the Call of Duty League would be signing a new agreement to return exclusively to YouTube Gaming for the 2023/24 season. In addition, it was reported that the exclusivity agreement with YouTube would be for two years.

The Call of Duty League is signing a new YouTube exclusivity deal starting for the 2023/2024 Call of Duty League season, sources have told Dexerto.

The Call of Duty League will broadcast exclusively on YouTube for two years. pic.twitter.com/Li9tAVvI0F

— Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) June 6, 2023

Recall that for most of the 2022/23 season, the CDL was streaming its games via Twitch and YouTube, which helped grow the fan base and viewership in each Major. But this exclusivity deal with YouTube has been mentioned for several months, and now, according to reports, it will become a reality.

However, the co-founder of OpTic Gaming and the OpTic Texas franchise in the CDL, Hector “H3CZ” Rodriguez, said this report could not be true. In addition, he also claimed that the organization’s owners would meet with the CDL in the coming weeks since this agreement is not in the best interest of the league, the teams, and the players.

This cannot be true, as we have the owners meeting next week to discuss this very topic and why it isn’t in the best interest of the CDL and the stability of its future. https://t.co/1oQMBcG3Lh

— OpTic HecZ (@H3CZ) June 6, 2023

Watch parties are the main affected

While it is true that this exclusivity contract can be very beneficial for fans, it is quite the opposite for organizations and, above all, for content creators. The return of the CDL to YouTube Gaming, as they did for the first three seasons, would mark the end of the popular watch parties that have been instrumental in the rise of the CDL’s popularity on Twitch.

Popular players in the CoD scene, such as Seth “Scump” Abner, who retired midway through Major II, started doing watch parties and were a complete success throughout the season. On the other hand, Thomas “ZooMaa” Paparatto, a former professional gamer, has managed to maintain and grow a large fan base on Twitch.

However, this possible agreement with YouTube for audiovisual rights could be excellent news, financially speaking, for the CDL franchises.

We can only wait for the official announcement by the Call of Duty League and, most importantly, what interests the fans, the arrival of the CDL Championship 2023. Remember that the CDL end-of-season event will be played in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, from June 15-18, 2023.

Header: CDL