Rumble CEO Denies Reports They Wouldn't Take Dr Disrespect
UPDATE: Dr Disrespect has signed a deal with Rumble.
While he has returned to full time streaming, the future is still very much uncertain for Guy "Dr Disrespect" Beahm. The Two Time is currently waiting to hear whether or not monetization will return to his YouTube channel and he remains permanently banned on Twitch. Additionally, Kick co-founder Eddie Kraven recently stated in an interview with esports reporter Rod "Slasher" Breslau that signing a deal with Dr Disrespect would make "zero sense."
Following that interview, Slasher tweeted that Rumble was apparently also off the table for the Doc, at least as far as lucrative deals go.
DrDisrespect won't be getting anything from Kick or even Rumble anytime soonhttps://t.co/yr1xWu4GG6
— Rod Breslau (@Slasher) October 13, 2024
On October 18, Dr Disrespect put out a public call to the CEO of Rumble, Chris Pavlovski, to directly confirm or deny Slasher's report. Now, the executive has responded.
Add Slasher to the list of the lying corporate media.
— Chris Pavlovski (@chrispavlovski) October 18, 2024
We have never declined having @DrDisrespect on Rumble.
It makes you really wonder what else these reporters are lying about, in order to get clicks in @DrDisrespect's name. 🤔 https://t.co/KoG2wze2zZ
"We have never declined having Dr Disrespect on Rumble," Pavlovski wrote on X. While the statement does express the platform's willingness to host Doc's livestream, it does not directly refute the claim the Rumble will not offer him a "big contract" as the article Dr Disrespect was referencing read.
what I said, which is not in the Dexerto aggregation, was at the time of DrDisrespect’s return last month there was no current offer from Rumble. which you are admitting is true since he’s still not on your platform. If you want to pay him then do it he’d fit right in https://t.co/czDVpGRseZ
— Rod Breslau (@Slasher) October 18, 2024
Related Article: Dr Disrespect Frustrated by Off The Grid's Positive Reception
Exclusive, large-money deals have become more of a rarity in the livestreaming space over the last year. Multiple streamers including Imane "Pokimane" Anys have begun to stream on more than one platform as their exclusive deals expire. YouTuber and streamer Ludwig Ahgren has been vocal on his own channel about the low probability of his own YouTube deal getting renewed.
According to Streams Charts, Rumble ranked fifth among small streamers (not Twitch or YouTube) in Q2 2024, though second through fourth place all primarily serve non-English-speaking audiences and, as such, would not be likely options for Dr Disrespect.
Trent has covered esports since the birth of the LCS. He also led content strategy and served as Senior Writer for The Esports Observer and Sports Business Journal, and worked on the development team for Rushdown Revolt.