Fortnite Streamer KingRichard Suspended from Twitch for Showing NFL Match without Authorization
Richard “KingRichard” Nelson, a popular Fortnite streamer, had his Twitch channel suspended for 24 hours on Thursday night. The suspension came after he streamed parts of an NFL match between the Dallas Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints while playing Fortnite.
Streaming any sports content on Twitch without proper authorization is against the rules. KingRichard’s live feed was reportedly cut short and his Twitch channel became unavailable immediately.
Since KingRichard’s channel is now suspended, there is no video evidence of what exactly happened. However, he tweeted “Fortnite + Football?” before starting his broadcast, indicating his intention to show parts of the NFL match live.
KingRichard may have been influenced by other streamers who were successfully broadcasting NFL matches. Timothy “Timthetatman” Betar, for example, is an approved co-streamer of official NFL broadcasts on Twitch, specifically Thursday Night Football. However, KingRichard did not have the necessary privileges to show NFL content.
Other well-known streamers have faced suspensions on Twitch for streaming unauthorized content. In June, five streamers received 24-hour bans for playing a Juice WRLD song, and Saqib “Lirik” Zahid was even mistakenly suspended for streaming soccer content owned by UEFA.
KingRichard has refrained from commenting on his social media accounts regarding the suspension. The ban will last for 24 hours due to a DMCA takedown notice from the NFL. During this time, KingRichard will be unable to stream Fortnite or anything else on Twitch.
Update Nov. 30 at 4:13 pm CT: According to an email from KingRichard, he was issued a 24-hour ban for a DMCA takedown notice from the NFL.