UPA Shuts Down ‘Sorry Not Sorry Pickleball’ After Cease-and-Desist
What's the Score?
Chris Cali, the creator of the popular, irreverent YouTube channel 'Sorry Not Sorry Pickleball,' has been hit with a final cease-and-desist action from the UPA (United Pickleball Association), which controls the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball (MLP). The October 2025 decision bars Cali from using any PPA or MLP content, effectively shutting down his highly engaged tournament recap operation. This move comes despite Cali having previously negotiated two consecutive six-month deals to use league footage in exchange for promoting the sponsor Pickleball Central.
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Cali’s channel, 'Sorry Not Sorry Pickleball,' gained popularity since 2023 for its distinctive style: delivering humorous, often critical, and "irreverent" commentary and highlights over clips of professional matches. His content was aimed at bringing pro pickleball to the masses through unfiltered entertainment, rather than neutral, unbiased reporting.
The relationship between Cali and the UPA has been turbulent. The first conflict arose at the end of 2023 when a large quantity of his videos were removed simultaneously due to unexpected copyright claims. Cali successfully pleaded his case to PPA Tour Founder and CEO Connor Pardoe, resulting in a six-month agreement in February 2024 that allowed him to use UPA footage in return for promoting the sponsor Pickleball Central.
However, the trouble did not end there. In August 2024, nearly six months after signing the initial deal, Cali received a cease-and-desist letter, which he suspected was triggered by a specific tweet that was taken out of context. He was able to clear up this matter and signed a fresh six-month deal under the same terms.
The final and definitive blow came in October 2025. Cali stated that he received an email "entirely out of the blue" from the UPA, which contained a blunt statement: "Moving forward, we will no longer be permitting the use of any PPA or MLP content". Despite repeated attempts to contact the league for a reason, he received a second email one week later stating that the league’s decision was "firm".
Cali publicly contended that the league "clearly... don't see the value of this show". He stressed that his value lies in his refusal to be neutral or unbiased, emphasising that he is "literally just here to have fun" and show "cool stuff" and "cringey stuff". The situation has provoked a response within the pickleball media community, notably from former MLP and PPA Tour content manager Sydney Steinaker, who publicly offered her support to Cali on Instagram, suggesting disappointment with the league's action. Cali has vowed that he is "not going anywhere" and promised to find a new path forward, though the long-term impact of losing access to official league footage remains unclear.
The World Pickleball Verdict
The UPA’s decision to terminate Chris Cali’s access to footage, despite having signed multiple licensing deals, exposes a critical tension point in the rapidly professionalising world of pickleball: the struggle between centralised control and independent commentary. Cali’s irreverent style, while possibly challenging for some players or sponsors, represented exactly the kind of authentic, unfiltered engagement that helps convert casual viewers into dedicated fans. By silencing one of the community's favourite, albeit sharpest, voices, the UPA risks projecting an image of being intolerant of criticism or humour, prioritising tight brand management over organic fan culture. This split is significant because, in a developing sport, the content creators who provide "entertainment" often drive awareness just as effectively as the league's official broadcasts, suggesting that this move might be a step backward for the community and its appetite for diverse media perspectives.