The San Francisco 49ers have severed ties with controversial streamer Dr Disrespect following his admission to sending inappropriate messages to a minor on Twitch. This marks the latest in a series of sponsors abandoning the streamer after details surrounding his 2020 Twitch ban surfaced.
On June 21st, former Twitch executive Cody Conners alleged Dr Disrespect, whose real name is Herschel "Guy" Beahm IV, was banned for "sexting a minor" via Twitch Whispers. Initially denying wrongdoing, Dr Disrespect later admitted to exchanging inappropriate messages with a minor on June 25th.
49ers End Sponsorship
In response to this admission, the San Francisco 49ers, valued at an estimated $6 billion, ended their relationship with Dr Disrespect. A team representative stated to Digiday, "We take these developments seriously and will not be working with him going forward." The 49ers represent the largest sponsor yet to drop the streamer, although the exact financial contribution to his income remains unclear. Dr Disrespect had previously collaborated extensively with the team, participating in marketing campaigns and even announcing draft picks.
This abrupt end to their partnership mirrors Dr Disrespect's 2020 departure from Twitch. The 42-year-old content creator has faced widespread fallout, with other companies distancing themselves, including gaming accessory maker Turtle Beach and Midnight Society, a game development company he co-founded.
"We take these developments seriously and will not be working with [Dr Disrespect] going forward."
Several former sponsors, including Mountain Dew, have indicated they have no plans to renew any partnerships. A Mountain Dew representative confirmed to Digiday that the company hasn't collaborated with Dr Disrespect for some time.
Prior to these sponsorship losses, Dr Disrespect announced a streaming hiatus, stating in a June 25th statement his intention to return to content creation soon.
