For greater than a yr, Chris Cali partnered with MLP and PPA to carry his irreverent model of professional pickleball evaluation and leisure to the lots. Then the cease-and-desist arrived.
Chris Cali, the creator behind the favored YouTube channel Sorry Not Sorry Pickleball, simply spent over two hours on a livestream laying out the complete timeline of how he went from having a content material partnership with the UPA (United Pickleball Affiliation) to getting hit with a cease-and-desist letter that basically shut down his event recap operation.
If you do not know Cali, or haven’t got two hours to spare happening a pickleball drama rabbit gap, permit us to assist catch you up to the mark.
Here is What We Know
Sorry Not Sorry has been posting movies since 2023, an irreverent take a look at professional pickleball by way of highlights, humor, and a wholesome dose of taking the piss, usually at gamers’ bills.
The crux of Cali’s content material entails commentary on professional pickleball matches – his YouTube movies usually characteristic him expressively speaking over match clips enjoying within the background.
Cali’s relationship with the UPA – that’s, the PPA Tour and Main League Pickleball – goes again a number of years, and there is loads of nuance concerned in decoding all the pieces that led as much as the place we stand now.
As of this second, we solely know what Cali is reporting.
In his phrases, here is the timeline of occasions:
- On the finish of 2023, unannounced, a trove of his movies had been faraway from YouTube concurrently as a consequence of copyright claims (a number of different pickleball media sources suffered the identical destiny)
- Cali took issues into his personal palms and referred to as PPA Tour Founder and CEO Connor Pardoe to plead his case
- February 2024, the 2 events had agreed to a six-month deal: Cali may use UPA footage in change for selling key sponsor Pickleball Central
- August of 2024, Cali was slapped with a cease-and-desist letter from the league, almost six months to the day from signing his unique deal – at its coronary heart, he thinks, was a tweet he posted that was taken out of context
- With that matter cleared up, a recent six-month deal was signed beneath the identical phrases
- October 2025, once more, Cali says, completely out of the blue, he acquired an e-mail from the UPA stating: “Transferring ahead, we’ll now not be allowing the usage of any PPA or MLP content material”
Cali stated he reached out a number of occasions asking for a motive; one week later he acquired a second e-mail stating that the league’s determination was “agency.”
The Dink has reached out to the PPA Tour and Main League Pickleball for remark. We are going to replace this text accordingly if we get a response.
The Fallout
Cali posted a quick response video On November 9, a pair weeks after he’d acquired the information.
He stated somebody from the PPA and MLP attain out to him and stated, “Transferring ahead, we’ll now not be allowing the usage of any PPA or MLP content material.”
Cali contends this was surprising and unannounced.
He went on:
“Clearly, it doesn’t matter what, it is apparent that they do not see the worth of this present.”
The supposed worth of the present is to carry professional pickleball to the lots, highlighting occasions by way of each information and leisure.
Cali stated the league was initially supportive of his method, stressing that they did not need to management what he stated or how he stated it.
“I am not right here to be impartial. I am not right here to be unbiased. I am actually simply right here to have enjoyable. I simply need to crack jokes at issues I believe are humorous. I need to present folks cool stuff. I need to present cringey stuff. That is it.”
Former MLP/PPA staffer reveals help
Fellow pickleball content material creator and former MLP and PPA Tour content material supervisor Sydney Steinaker gave her perspective in an Instagram submit.
Within the feedback, Cali thanked her for her help:
Thanks for saying this. I recognize your help. You’ve all the time been an excellent buddy to me and have gone out of your manner to assist me many occasions.
This entire state of affairs sucks, it’s disappointing that they might do that. Hoping they may change their thoughts, however I’m not holding my breath. Possibly issues could be completely different if they’d you there!
What Occurs Subsequent?
Cali adopted up his quick replace video a number of days later with a two-hour livestream, throughout which he gave a extra detailed account of the state of affairs.
He ended the livestream with a observe of cautious optimism.
He stated he bought some encouraging information about an hour earlier than going reside, however he wasn’t able to share particulars. He promised that it doesn’t matter what occurs with the UPA, he is not going anyplace.
“My title is Sorry Not Sorry,” he stated.
“I’ll by no means be sorry for saying what I am saying.”
Whether or not the UPA reconsiders, whether or not Cali finds one other strategy to create content material, or whether or not this turns into a everlasting break up stays to be seen.
However one factor’s clear: there’s so much we nonetheless do not know right here, however the pickleball group is watching. And a few are usually not joyful about dropping one in every of their favourite voices.
