Dr Disrespect reveals “tough” Twitch ban cost him Nike sponsorship

Dr Disrespect reflected on his ban from Twitch, calling it a “tough” time in his life and revealing the incident cost him a lot of “big sponsorships,” such as a deal with Nike.

Dr Disrespect was permanently banned from Twitch in June 2020, with no clear reason for his suspension ever given, even years after the incident took place.

Doc has been mostly mum about the ordeal, although he’s shown his stance on the subject in quiet ways, such as the time he gifted chess grandmaster GM Hikaru some of his own Steel Bourbon after he was banned from Twitch for watching him during a stream.

On April 8, 2024 — nearly four years after his ban — the Doc revealed some of the fallout that occurred because of his suspension, claiming he had “big” sponsorships in the works that were ultimately struck down due to the drama with Twitch.

Two of the sponsorships that he named were Nike and Oakley, both massive sportswear brands that would have been a major partnership for any top streamer, let alone the two-time.

“That was tough,” he admitted. “That was a tough time. Not gonna beat around the bush man. We didn’t know, we didn’t find out until a year later. But during that time, we built everything up to that point. We lost out on a lot of big deals, a lot of sponsorships.

“I mean, sh*t, we had Nike, we were talking to Oakley. And that’s no joke, man. I can bring up Oakley prototypes right here. And then that sh*t happened, man, and I was in a spot that I hadn’t been in before.”

It’s clear that the Doc’s Twitch ban had a much bigger impact on the streamer than simply losing his audience on the platform, which he has managed to rebuild on YouTube to the tune of 4.7 million subscribers.

While it’s unclear if his collaborations with Nike and Oakley will ever see the light of day, fans are already dreaming about the possibilities of some Doc-themed sunglasses and sneakers.