For a while now, YouPorn, a company that specialises in delivering visual masturbatory aid has been engaged in stroking something else; eSports stars’ egos. As we’ve told you before, YouPorn sponsors a number of eSports teams across a number of gaming disciplines. And they’ve done it in a way that I think is tasteful, not pushing the company’s main business.
Team YP, as they’re called, may be sponsored by an adult site, but beyond their logo’s colour scheme and their abbreviated name there’s little to demonstrate that. Despite that, they’re being pushed out of the game by one of the premier eSports organisers.
The ESL has now – two years later – instituted rules that prohibit sponsors “widely known for pornographic … or other adult/mature themes and products.” What this effectively means is that Team YP (which by all accounts has actually been performing quite well) is barred from ESL tournaments.
As you’d imagine, the people invested in this, the players themselves, are rather upset, and have appealed the new rules.
“I am disappointed that Team YP’s growth is being stunted by this decision, not to mention the effect that this will have on our roster of players,” Team YP manager Claire Fisher told VentureBeat. “While for some, our participation in esports has been controversial, stopping our players from competing because they are sponsored by us, in spite of Team YP operating as a completely SFW [safe for work] brand, clearly separated from any adult content, seems unfair to say the least.”
“We feel like this rule has been implemented in direct connection to our sponsor’s efforts,” Team YP’s Rainbow Six: Siege and Evolve captain Eril “YP_Nightwane” Djoehana said.“ It was only created after we started entering ESL cups and started getting noticed.”
What makes the decision for the enforcement so baffling is that Team YP and its sponsors have done all they can to ensure that “Team YP” is its own brand. Searching for “Team YP” on google brings up no links to pornography, and there’s nothing in the branding to suggest the adult-oriented nature of its sponsor.
“What is even more upsetting for my team in particular is that we were worried about these kinds of problems,” said Nightwane. “We decided to be proactive, and we asked both [Evolve publisher] 2K and ESL how they felt about our sponsorship, and they were both very happy to accept Team YP as a participant. This leaves us confused on why this ruling has been made. We would love to continue competing with other teams within the ESL while being sponsored. We have always strived not to cause any troubles, and we want to follow the rules properly.”
It’s an odd decision, though one I suppose I understand. I don’t believe this has anything to do with some sort of prudish moral crusade on the ESL’s part, and instead is being enforced to add, in some small way, a touch more legitimacy to eSports.
Of course, there’s an odd double standard here, because other “social ills” like gambling, alcohol and the likes of G2A and Kinguin are some of the biggest sponsors not just of eSport, but sport in general.
YouPorn has issued a statement regarding their ban:
“Advertising pornography is not legal in the markets we operate in, and the vast majority of partners we’re working with have strict “no drugs, no alcohol, no pornography” rules that we’ve contractually taken on board. These aren’t new rules, but ones that have been in our rulebooks for a long time. We have spoken to Team YP manager earlier this year and in that conversation we’ve explained the situation and rules in detail, and offered to look for potential alternatives in a bigger group. At the same time, we’re consulting with our legal teams about this. We will inform the team and the management as soon as we have any updates.”
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Last Updated: April 25, 2016
Ottokie
April 25, 2016 at 10:36
Well this is a sticky situation for team YP. But I agree on the double standards for teams to be allowed to compete who are sponsored by “grey market resellers”. The very same ones who even sell accounts that are clearly illegal in any online games terms and conditions.
Pariah
April 25, 2016 at 10:38
“Sticky”. Aren’t they used to that? XD
Alien Emperor Trevor
April 25, 2016 at 10:39
You don’t get it… you being fucked is fine, you watching someone else fuck isn’t. Money makes the world go round.
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 25, 2016 at 10:40
EAs company code?
Ottokie
April 25, 2016 at 10:40
That was such a good comment I had to read it a couple of times xD
Pariah
April 25, 2016 at 10:40
But yes 100%. The double standards are real. It’s baffling why a platform for criminals – widely known as such – is allowed to sponsor teams and run ads galore, yet the fully legal porn site can’t. And they’re not even advertising their site, they’re just sponsoring a team.
BakedBagel
April 25, 2016 at 14:30
GEEEEEE TOOOOO AAAAAAAAA WutFace
CHEAP AS A DUCK QWACK QWACK
Refrence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw6EjB8KjFU
Original Heretic
April 25, 2016 at 10:41
Sticky indeed. And they were trying to hard to be unsticky.
HairyEwok
April 25, 2016 at 10:37
YouPrawn….
Alien Emperor Trevor
April 25, 2016 at 10:54
…
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 25, 2016 at 11:23
But are you the sweetie man?
Alien Emperor Trevor
April 25, 2016 at 10:37
*spornsors. Opportunity missed.
Seems like an odd thing to make a rule change about now. But then again, games are for kids… right?
HairyEwok
April 25, 2016 at 10:39
Puberty is for kids as well…
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 25, 2016 at 10:41
So no RedTube for Red team in Halo then?
Ottokie
April 25, 2016 at 10:42
The new YouTube section?
Pariah
April 25, 2016 at 10:42
That’s clever, trying to play ignorant. 🙂
Ottokie
April 25, 2016 at 10:43
Hey, I have been single so long, I need to watch my step around articles like these xD
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 25, 2016 at 10:45
Funny, you’d expect married people to have to watch their step.
Ottokie
April 25, 2016 at 10:46
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mNLuq0lW50k/hqdefault.jpg
Admiral Chief in New York
April 25, 2016 at 11:18
WTF is the man doing in the background? Using a defibrillation device?
Ottokie
April 25, 2016 at 11:19
Maybe he is smearing mayo on a very thick bun with a futuristic knife.
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 25, 2016 at 11:23
See my response to Admiral XD
Ottokie
April 25, 2016 at 11:24
I ain’t watching that O.o
*I am only allowed 1 high pitch scream at work per day
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 25, 2016 at 11:31
XD
Admiral Chief in New York
April 25, 2016 at 11:33
Yeah I recently watched a video where a guy goes exploring a NOPE-mine, all by himself.
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 25, 2016 at 11:22
It’s from the movie, The Thing
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 25, 2016 at 10:45
“We finish off the competition” A tagline we’ll never get to see.
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 25, 2016 at 10:46
*fixed
Admiral Chief in New York
April 25, 2016 at 11:18
xD
Original Heretic
April 25, 2016 at 10:46
So the issue is the sponsor. I honestly just don’t get it. If the money isn’t coming from an illegal source, why the issue? It’s not like they’re being funded by a some South American drug cartel.
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 25, 2016 at 10:48
Or the Guptas….
Dresden
April 25, 2016 at 11:02
It’s a pity they won’t be able to compete. I bet they would’ve been real “stiff” competition for the other teams.
Pariah
April 25, 2016 at 14:37
XD
chimera_85
April 25, 2016 at 11:16
Idiots
miaau
April 25, 2016 at 11:17
who? Which Part, or just in general, all of them?
chimera_85
April 25, 2016 at 11:32
Hahaha sorry. The ESL
Kromas untamed
April 25, 2016 at 12:02
Remember when gaming was not as inclusive as it is now. Looks like we are going backwards again.
Lord Prophecy
April 25, 2016 at 12:04
Those were the days…
Strawman Jim
April 25, 2016 at 17:24
Dude, if the current bunch of regressives sound less enlightened than Jack Thompson then you know we’ve hit an all time low.
BakedBagel
April 25, 2016 at 14:32
Remember when ESL had their new “Drug policy” Topkek
I wonder how many eSport players still use adderall topkek
ESL just love new rules. They like the government.
Strawman Jim
April 25, 2016 at 17:21
This is bullshit. Youporn should be allowed to sponsor whoever they want (especially considering that they’ve gone above and beyond to sanitise their advertising). I hope this doesn’t mean that the ESL is made up of a bunch of regressive SJWs. It’s so difficult to tell the difference between conservatives and SJW regressives these days. It’s already enough that those blue haired idiots have infected twitter like a disgusting STD… but esports? GTFO!
Strawman Jim
April 25, 2016 at 17:26
In any case, esports and the lame ESL have nothing on this: Dubai Drone Prix 2016! This takes real skill!!
Strawman Jim
April 25, 2016 at 17:31