Why was Sidemen Charity Match 2023 video deleted from YouTube? Reason behind DMCA takedown explored

The popular UK-based YouTube group Sidemen has been hit with a rather unusual copyright strike, which, surprisingly, came directly from the Premier League. More precisely, the group's latest live stream of the Sidemen Charity Match 2023 (September 9) was removed from their channel, after the group received the notification of the unexpected DMCA.

The video was temporarily inaccessible on their official YouTube page. Those who had previously saved the live stream link found that the video-on-demand (VOD) was unplayable. Instead, an on-screen message displayed, reading:

"This video contains content from FA Premier League, who has blocked it on copyright grounds."

The official stream for the Charity Match was removed temporarily (Image via Twitter/X)

Note: At the time of writing, the VOD has been restored and is available to play again.

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Why was the Sidemen Charity Match 2023 stream removed?

Today (September 18), the UK-based YouTube group discovered that their recent charity match livestream had been removed from their channel due to an unexplained copyright strike issued by the Premier League. This incident highlights YouTube's history of sometimes issuing perplexing and unexpected copyright strikes.

As mentioned earlier, the precise reason for the copyright strike remains undisclosed, and such incidents have been a recurring issue. Fortunately, in this case, it's notable that the VOD was restored after about half an hour, offering some relief to fans.

The quick restoration of the VOD might indicate a possible mistake by the Premier League. The London Stadium (where the match took place), being a Premier League-registered venue, could be the cause, although this remains unconfirmed. The group has previously streamed from other FA-registered stadiums without problems, adding to the speculation.

It's worth highlighting that Hashtag United, a YouTube-run and owned club, also participates in the FA Cup, and highlights of their games are regularly uploaded to YouTube without encountering copyright strikes.

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"How is this even possible?" - KSI and the rest of the community left bemused

The sudden news of the VOD receiving copyright strikes sparked concern and amusement among many, including JJ "KSI," who is a member of the Sidemen. Regarding the situation, the YouTuber had this to say:

KSI was left confused with the copyright strike (Image via Twitter/X)

Here are some reactions from fans and the wider community to the recent news:

Fans highlight YouTube's engagement during the livestream (Image via Twitter/X)

Fans critical of the platform for removing a charity event (Image via Twitter/X)

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The Sidemen Charity Match 2023 achieved remarkable success, raising over £2 million in donations for the participating charities. Furthermore, the live stream of the event reached a peak of over 2.5 million views at one point, solidifying its status as the most-viewed YouTuber event of the year.