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Guide · State October 2026
Legal notice and privacy policy for your esports website: the basics
Almost every clan website needs a legal notice (imprint) and a privacy policy. We explain when that is the case, what typically belongs in them and what to watch for when embedding Twitch, YouTube and Discord. This guide describes the situation in Germany.
Important: This is a general overview, not legal advice. Which duties apply to you depends on your legal form, your offers and the services you use. Have your texts checked by a professional if in doubt. The legal situation and names of laws can change.
1. When do I need a legal notice?
The duty to provide a legal notice applies to digital services offered on a commercial basis, regulated in Germany in section 5 of the Digital Services Act (DDG). “Commercial” does not mean you have to make a profit. It is about a lasting offer that goes beyond the purely private.
- Club or company: A legal notice is practically always needed.
- With sponsors, advertising, merch or donations: Usually needed.
- Purely private site without any income: May be exempt. If you are unsure, create one. It does no harm.
2. What typically belongs in it
- Name and address: For a club the full name with legal form (e. V.) and the address. For a person first and last name and the address. A PO box alone is usually not enough.
- Authorized representatives: For clubs and companies, the people who may represent them (for example the board).
- Contact: An email address and a second quick way, for example a contact form or a phone number.
- Register details: For registered clubs the register of associations and the number, for companies the commercial register.
- VAT ID, if you have one.
- Responsible for content, if you publish editorial articles.
The exact details differ from case to case. Do not rely on examples from the web, check them for your situation.
3. Where the legal notice has to be
The legal notice should be easy to recognize, directly accessible and permanently available. In practice that means: a link “Legal notice” in the footer that is visible on every page, not hidden in the middle of a menu. The same goes for the privacy policy.
4. The privacy policy
As soon as your site processes personal data, you inform visitors about it. That already includes the server log files at the host, a contact form, applications or a newsletter sign-up. Typical components:
- Who is responsible and how to reach you
- Which data you process for which purpose (server logs, contact form, applications)
- Legal basis of the processing
- Recipients of the data, for example the host
- Retention period
- Rights of data subjects: access, rectification, erasure, objection, complaint to the supervisory authority
- Embedded third-party services (see next section)
Depending on the provider, you should conclude a data processing agreement with the host. Hints on choosing one are in the guide to domain and hosting.
5. Embedding Twitch, YouTube and Discord
With external embeds (a Twitch player, a YouTube video, a Discord widget), the visitor’s browser loads content from the service, and the service receives, for example, the IP address. That is relevant for data protection.
Two ways
Load with consent: The content only appears when the visitor agrees (for example by clicking a preview). This is the usual way for videos and streams.
Visitors decide for themselves.
Just link: Instead of embedding, a link leads to the service.
Less convenient, but no embedding.
Name all embedded services in the privacy policy. Fonts from Google, map services and analytics tools belong there too if you use them.
6. Cookies and notices
Technically necessary cookies, for example for login or form protection, usually need no consent. Anything that additionally collects data (statistics tools, advertising, some embeds) usually needs a real consent solution. A simple “Understood” notice is not enough if such services are in use. The easiest way is a site that manages without tracking and without third-party embeds.
7. Photos, names and minors
- Photos and names of players and staff are published with the person’s consent.
- Minors: Here the consent of the legal guardians is usually needed too.
- Keep it in writing: Record who agreed when and what is published. A person must be able to withdraw consent, plan a way to do that.
- Former players: Take profiles down if someone asks.
For a checklist of what else belongs on an organization’s website, see the guide to the organization website.
With Clan CMS: The CMS creates templates for the legal notice and privacy policy. They are not finished legal texts: you replace the placeholders in double square brackets with your details and review the text. As long as a placeholder is still in the text, the page is not visible to visitors. The CMS itself sets only a technically necessary session cookie and shows a notice about it. If you add analytics or marketing services on top, you need a real consent solution. More on the Clan CMS page. If you do not have a site yet, the guide to the clan website shows five ways to get one.
8. Frequently asked questions
Do I need a legal notice as a small team?
That depends on whether the site is run on a commercial basis. With sponsors, advertising, sales or as a club that is usually the case. If in doubt, create one. We do not give legal advice.
Is a generator or a template enough?
As a starting point yes, as a finished text only if you review it and check it against your real details and services. A template does not replace a legal review.
Which address has to go into the legal notice?
An address where you can be reached. A PO box is usually not enough. For clubs it is the club’s address.
Do players have to give consent?
For photos, names and social links yes, and for minors usually their legal guardians too. Keep the consent in writing.
Does Clan CMS help with this?
It creates templates for the legal notice and privacy policy. As long as placeholders still have to be filled in, the pages are not visible to visitors. The templates are not finished legal texts, you have to fill them in and review them.
Legal notice and privacy prepared?
Clan CMS creates templates for both pages. You fill them in with your details and review them, until then they stay invisible to visitors.