CDL announce $25 million entry fee refund & revenue changes to increase team support

The CDL announced a restructuring to the league’s agreement with active franchises that is meant to increase growth and revenue for the Call of Duty League and the teams involved.

On April 16, Call of Duty League General Manager Daniel Tsay revealed major changes to the league’s agreement with CDL teams aiming to “create a stronger, more sustainable league.”

Since the CDL’s inception, much has been made about the estimated $25 million entry fee that franchises dished out to earn a spot in the league. The announcement on April 16 revealed that “any fees previously collected from teams will be returned in full.”

This includes the buy-in fees that teams have dished out so far. In addition, any outstanding fees will be waived by the CDL. This change will likely put all current teams in a less restrictive financial position moving forward, allowing them to focus on the continued growth of the league.

Another major change hoping to impact profits for teams comes by way of increasing the revenue each team will earn from in-game bundles. Each team has a CDL Team Pack featured in the MW3 and Warzone stores, and they’ll now earn increased revenue from those sales.

The changes will also ensure that teams involved in hosting live events, such as the upcoming Major III Tournament in Toronto, will have access to more funds. The CDL acknowledged that “hosting large scale events are vital to teams and the CDL community,” and teams will now have more money to grow the league through events.

Despite the grim outlook of the CDL’s future at the start of the 2024 season, this announcement indicates that team owners and the league have found common ground and are pushing to secure the long-term success of competitive Call of Duty.