The bulk of the 2023 Call of Duty League season has been broadcast on both Twitch and YouTube. But that may no longer be the case starting next season.
Dexerto reported today the CDL is signing a new exclusive streaming deal with YouTube Gaming, which would presumably spell the end for the league’s brief yet relatively successful time on Twitch, where former CoD pros such as Scump and ZooMaa have drawn thousands of viewers to their respective CDL watch parties.
But it is not a certainty the CDL will leave Twitch for YouTube. OpTic Gaming co-founder Hector “H3CZ” Rodriguez said the report about a new exclusive deal “cannot be true” because the owners are set to meet next week and will “discuss this very topic and why it isn’t in the best interest of the CDL and the stability of its future.”
Nadeshot, a former CoD pro and the owner of 100 Thieves, did not say whether the deal was real or not. But he did reply to esports commentator Alex “Goldenboy” Mendez, saying he “would be shocked by how little the CDL is being paid for exclusivity.” He also added that the “juice isn’t worth the squeeze on this one.”
Nadeshot elaborated on his position in a separate tweet.
“Viewership is survival. Full stop. Everything else can be figured out after the fact,” Nadeshot said. “The CDL is owned and operated by a multi-billion dollar company, they could operate the league at a loss permanently and it wouldn’t leave a dent on their P&L. Viewership first, monetize after.”
Nameless, a member of the CDL broadcast team, weighed in on the report and said he believed the revenue from an exclusive deal could “help the longevity of the league and help see this through in an uncertain esports economy.”
He emphasized, however, that the deal would be a “bad thing” if Twitch watch parties were not allowed as he feels streaming simultaneously on Twitch and YouTube was “awesome.”
H3CZ responded to Nameless’ initial tweet with a laughing emoji, possibly signifying he didn’t agree with the take.
Methodz, who retired midseason this year and embarked on a full-time content creator role with OpTic, didn’t seem pleased with the possibility of the CDL leaving Twitch.
“One step forward, three steps back. What a shame,” Methodz said.
CoD fans on Reddit were similarly disappointed by the news. One user said the move could only be a “very good thing” if Scump and ZooMaa, the most popular Twitch CDL co-streamers, jumped to YouTube as well to continue the watch parties.
Some were not so negative, with a few remarking an exclusive streaming deal could be beneficial to the league’s revenue and keep the CDL around.
A few users also said that while a move to YouTube would be unfortunate because of a likely viewership decrease, any viewers going to Scump or ZooMaa’s streams, for example, don’t really aid the league in its monetization efforts anyway.
Whether the CDL ultimately leaves Twitch for an exclusive deal with YouTube remains to be seen, but the conversation around the potential move will continue until and likely through the 2023 CDL Championship, which will span from June 15 to 18.
