The YouPorn sponsored esports team, Team YP, has been banned by the Electronic Sports League (ESL) as it is in breach of the organisation’s advertising rules. 
In a statement issued to VentureBeat by the ESL this was what was said on the matter: “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.”
It continued: “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.”
It would seem that at a period during which esports is knocking very loudly at the door of mainstream acceptance, such sponsors have been deemed ill-suited for this goal to be achieved.
As reported by VentureBeat, Team YP made appeals to the league that it would make adjustments and rebrand in order to meet the new requirements but these appeals were denied.
Team YP Esports Coordinator Claire Fisher stated: “”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.”
She added: “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.”
This is not the first time Team YP has undergone issues due to the nature of its primary sponsor, and it released a censored team jersey late least year. Should this ESL ban stand though, it will be extremely difficult for the organisation to continue to flourish as the league is the biggest worldwide.
A look at Team YP’s Twitter profile sees the pinned tweet of #FreeTeamYP standing loud and proud at the top.
Source: SBC News
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