Sponsors Leaving Cdl And Owl

After the lawsuit involving sexual harassment and discrimination against Activision Blizzard, Overwatch League sponsors such as Coca-Cola and State Farm are rethinking their partnerships. Other Overwatch League sponsors, including Pringles, IBM and State Farms, seem to have revoked their partnership with the league as a result of the ongoing lawsuit of Activision Blizzards against the state of California. The news that California is suing Activision Blizzard over the ubiquitous frat boy culture shocked much of the gaming world.     

Sponsors Overwatch League, Coca-Cola and State Farm made their decision after a July suit filed by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing against Activision Blizzard. Coca-Cola and State Farms are taking a step back from the league and rethinking their partnership.     

As one of the largest sponsors of the CDL, many sources have pointed out that one of the biggest sponsors of Call of Duty League is the Overwatch League, as there is no official CDL website. It appears that both the Overwatch League and Call of Duty League have adjusted their policies to ease restrictions on Activision's paying teams. According to the Esports Observer, the change began with the sponsors of the CDLs. 

For publishers like Activision Blizzard, which has had all sorts of OWL and CDL sponsors since the league was founded, this is a huge change. Coca-Cola is another big brand name associated with OWL. The change will allow liquor companies and adult beverages to sponsor OWL teams and leagues.