EXCLUSIVE: For its upcoming international championship, the Esports World Cup Foundation is collaborating with the renowned sports marketing firm IMG. The event is scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 7 to August 24, marking the second edition of this global competition.
Set in the bustling Boulevard City entertainment area, the 2025 Esports World Cup (EWC) will host 2,000 top-tier competitors from 200 clubs across 100 regions.
IMG will handle a variety of services including broadcast production, content strategy, the management of global rights, and international distribution through SNTV, their joint venture with The Associated Press.
The partnership also involves producing a two-hour program called EWC Spotlight, which will air live every Friday through Sunday throughout the championship weekends, broadcast from a specially designed studio within Boulevard City.
The show, presented by UK sports hosts Hugh Woozencroft and Rachel Stringer, will feature a mix of esports highlights, entertainment and pop culture insights, exclusive behind-the-scenes content, about 60 celebrity appearances, and educational segments.
The series will debut with a special premiere on Thursday, highlighted by a live performance from U.S. artist and avid gamer Post Malone at the EWC’s opening ceremony.
“With EWC Spotlight, we aim to open new doors into the world of esports, reaching out not only to the millions who are already fans but also to billions who have yet to discover this competitive spectacle,” explained Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation.
“By merging top-tier competition with mainstream entertainment and cultural narratives, we are removing the barriers between esports and traditional media. Our collaboration with IMG, a leader in sports production and content, showcases the true essence of esports as a new era in global entertainment, sports, and culture,” Reichert added.
EWC Spotlight will be aired across various English-speaking broadcast and OTT platforms, potentially reaching over 250 million viewers. Partners include Fox (U.S.), DAZN (U.S., Germany), beIN (MENA), Channel 7 (Australia), TRT (Turkey), Astro (Malaysia), TAP (Philippines), GOAT (Brazil), Nsports (Brazil), Super Sport (Africa), Star Times (Africa), WHATS TV (Spain), and HoyTv (Hong Kong), among others.
In total, IMG will produce more than 50 hours of content covering live esports events, digital and social media content, and an original documentary featuring the major teams participating in the competition.
Moreover, IMG has developed an international distribution strategy for the tournament’s content and will utilize its extensive network of global media experts for content management worldwide. Additionally, daily tournament updates will be distributed to global broadcasters and media partners through SNTV, managed by the sports video production and distribution agency, Story10.
“The Esports World Cup represents the pinnacle of gaming entertainment for fans, and we are thrilled to help deliver this event to a global audience with engaging, headline-making content,” said Barney Francis, EVP, Studios at IMG.
“By combining our top-notch production capabilities and creative expertise with our team of international media strategists, this partnership is set to enhance the viewing experience for fans around the world as they root for their favorite teams and personalities on the global stage,” Francis continued.
Esports plays a crucial role in Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, aimed at diversifying the nation’s economy beyond oil. A recent report by PwC predicts the local gaming market will reach a value of $13.3 billion by 2030.
The 2025 EWC features a record-breaking prize pool of over $70 million, the largest ever in the history of esports.
This year, the 2,000 participants will compete in 25 tournaments across 24 games, including popular titles like Call of Duty: Warzone, Mobile Legends Bang Bang (MLBB), and Rennsport. Top teams to watch include the defending champions Team Falcons, as well as Team Liquid, FaZe Clan, Fnatic, and Team Vitality.
For the first time, Chess will be featured in the competition, with five-time World Champion Magnus Carlsen competing for Team Liquid and serving as the official Global Ambassador. Other notable chess grandmasters participating include Hikaru Nakamura (Team Falcons), Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Team Vitality), and R Praggnanandhaa (Team Liquid).
Football icon Cristiano Ronaldo has also joined as a Global Ambassador, further bridging the gap between esports and traditional sports.
IMG’s involvement in the EWC builds on its impressive track record in esports, having previously collaborated with organizations like EA Sports, BLAST, Epic Games, PGL Esports, Riot Games, the International Olympic Committee, and the Global Esports Games.
The extensive EWC audiovisual operation will include 7,000 hours of live content, captured from four arenas and 26 studios, marking a 55% increase from the 2024 event. Over 550 global production staff and an additional 300 event crew members will be onsite to manage the operations.
Major global distribution partners include FOX Sports and DAZN in the U.S.; Eurosport, DAZN, and L’Equipe in Europe; TOD.tv, MBC, TRT in MENA; SuperSport and StarTimes in Africa; and Channel 7, Astro, TAP, Abema, Kuaishou, Douyin, and NAVER in the Asia-Pacific region. The tournaments will also be streamed live on Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok.
A new five-part documentary titled Esports World Cup: Level Up by Emmy-winning filmmaker R.J. Cutler, which goes behind the scenes of the inaugural 2024 Esports World Cup, has been teased by Prime Video.
According to EWC statistics, the 2024 edition attracted 500 million viewers, with 252 million hours watched, a peak viewership of 6.3 million, and reached 311 million households via linear TV. The content was broadcast across over 2,000 channels and co-streams, generating more than 3.5 billion impressions and an estimated media value of $1.2 billion.
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