Why was IShowSpeed banned from streaming on YouTube for a week?

Darren "IShowSpeed" has been banned from streaming on YouTube for a week after receiving a strike. The streamer took to Twitter to share a screenshot of the email, which stated that action against the account was taken under the platform's spam, deceptive practices, and scams policy. He captioned the pic, "now way":

In a clip that was widely shared on social media, IShowSpeed provided further clarification, explaining that the week-long ban was due to copyright violations. The infringement occurred when he ignored a warning after he began streaming The Best FIFA Football Awards 2022.

IShowSpeed received a copyright strike after being warned for streaming The Best FIFA Football Awards 2022 on YouTube

The streamer made a short video in which he explained how he was not allowed to post or stream anything on his main YouTube channel due to a week-long ban, saying:

Calling his own actions "dumb," IShowSpeed apologized to his viewers and explained how he wasn't aware that the content he had streamed on his channel was copyrighted, saying:

The Breakout Streamer of the year further clarified exactly what he was watching that incurred the copyright lords' wrath - he had just begun streaming The Best FIFA Football Awards 2022, which was also being streamed by FIFA on YouTube.

IShowSpeed also clarified that YouTube gave him a warning before the ban and that the suspension was likely due to him continuing to stream the FIFA Best Footballers awards ceremony after the warning. The 18-year-old erroneously thought that the highlight reels that were part of the show were the reason for the warning, and not the ceremony itself:

Social media reaction

The ban attracted plenty of attention. As one of the foremost YouTube streamers, a flood of reactions would be normal, but Kick proponents Trainwreckstv and Adin Ross both replied to IShowSpeed's original tweet, asking him to leave YouTube for their platform.

Adin Ross called YouTube's treatment of IShowSpeed like that of a "peasant" and hinted that Kick would be willing to sign a million-dollar deal.

Trainwreckstv continued his attack on Twitch and YouTube, asking the streamer to leave them:

Copyright strikes are handled very strictly by all the major streaming websites, and it's worth noting that Kick was recently embroiled in a similar controversy after Adin Ross and others streamed the Superbowl without permission.

About the author

Richik has been specializing in streamer content at Sportskeeda for over 2 years. He also manages a group of writers who craft relevant news and features about content creators on platforms like Twitch, Kick, and Rumble. Prior to Sportskeeda, he interned at The Ken and worked as a reviewer at Blacksof where he fact-checked educational content.

Richik’s love for writing, researching, and archiving, along with his inquisitive nature and longstanding love for video games led him to pursue a career as a gaming journalist. He relies on primary sources for accurate information and ensures that his drafts are proofread, fact-checked, and well-researched.

As a child, Richik spent many a summer vacation playing the 1994 Road Rash with his cousins. Although more of an FPS and open-world fiend now, Richik enjoys single-player RPGs with compelling storytelling, such as The Last of Us franchise, and regularly teams up with his friends to play multiplayer titles like Valorant on PC.

Richik enjoys watching streamer and former esports athlete Shroud, and also finds inspiration in MrBeast's journey to become one of the most well-known content creators worldwide. Interviewing English-Somali YouTuber Sharky, a member of the renowned Beta Squad, was a career highlight for him.

When not writing, Richik likes to read, watch a movie or a game of football.

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