From sponsorships to industry-wide announcements, Insider Sport has you covered when it comes to the world of esports.
This week’s edition highlights the latest developments including, the Esports World Cup Foundation revealing the Esports World Cup recorded more than 500 million viewers.
Across the eight-week competition, over 500 million viewers consumed over 250 million hours of content, making it the most-watched tournament in 2024. Additionally, the event reached its highest peak concurrent viewership of 3.5 million during the League of Legends Grand Final, when T1 were victorious over Top Esports.
At the inaugural Esports World Cup, nobody in the space knew what to expect. However, the event made history before kicking off, as it awarded more than $60m in prize money – the largest prize pool in esports history.
Following on from the successful event, which saw Team Falcons the first Esports World Cup Club Champion, the EWCF has announced it will return next year.
HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, Chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation said: “The Esports World Cup has underscored the transformative impact of esports and the pivotal role that this incomparable industry now plays in cultures and societies all around the world – its inclusive and empowering nature is something truly unique.
“For eight successive weeks, this unparalleled event has brought the entire international gaming community together like never before – inviting all to participate in this milestone moment in esports history.
“We could not be more delighted with what’s transpired this summer – it’s a historic moment in time that Saudi Arabia and the world will always remember fondly.”
Ralf Reichert, CEO of EWCF, commented: “The Esports World Cup has been an incredible success in year one, driving global esports to new heights. I’m proud of accomplishing what we set out to do: bringing together the best games, Clubs and players, offering a life-changing prize pool and building the world’s largest esports festival.
“Congratulations to Team Falcons, who were rewarded for their competitive excellence and investment across many new games by becoming the first Esports World Cup Club Champion. I can’t wait to gather the best of the industry again for another epic EWC in 2025.”
Zinchenko leverages VBET ambassador ties for esports partnership
Footballer Oleksandr Zinchenko’s esports organisation Passion UA has announced a deal with gambling company VBET.
Under the agreement, the bookmaker will become the general partner for Passion UA and the esports organisation’s jerseys will feature VBET branding.
This deal was easy to make, with Arsenal player Zinchenko already a Responsible Gaming Ambassador for the betting brand. Additionally, both parties mentioned that esports and betting align.
Zinchenko launched the organisation to compete in Counter-Strike, a game which he plays and enjoys watching. Currently, the team sits at number 41 of the HLTV ranking. Since its inception, Passion UA has expanded by creating rosters in Dota 2 and Apex Legends.
Artemijs Rjabovs, CEO of Passion UA, remarked: “We are happy to partner with such a big brand in the sports industry. We’ve known each other for a while, thanks to the successful and prosperous collaboration between VBET and Oleksandr Zinchenko, so it was just a matter of time before the partnership extended to Passion UA.”
Gen.G emphasises education in Saudi expansion plans
Korean esports organisation Gen.G has unveiled plans to launch a new hub in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Announcing the expansion at the Esports World Cup, Gen.G says that it will serve as a hub for education, which it has experience in. The organisation is known for offering various educational courses through the Gen.G Global Academy (GGA) programme.
Additionally, Gen.G offers certification courses for coaches in collaboration with the Saudi Telecom Company and other jobs such as project management, marketing and partnerships.
This expansion marks its fourth city, with existing hubs in Seoul, Shanghai and Los Angeles.
Nicole Choi, MENA Partnership Lead at Gen.G, said: “Our models are very different from country to country and, being new here, we want to know the locals better so we have been working with a lot of local partners like Stc, and international partners like LG UltraGear, and the Saudi Esports Federation to bring these courses alive.”
Saudi Arabia has become an international hub for esports in its own right, with the inaugural Esports World Cup proving the region’s dedication to the sport. This success has attracted a lot of organisations to the country.
Wang Guan, President of GGA, spoke to Esports Insider about the decision which led the organisation to establish a presence in the MENA region: “We see the next era of esports to be created here in the MENA region, with KSA as the epicentre. And we want to be part of building that next era of the industry.”
TALON Esports and Visa partner to provide fan-focused activations
Esports organisation TALON Esports has announced a partnership with global financial company Visa.
Under the agreement, the pair will collaborate to provide fans with opportunities to interact with TALON’s Arena of Valor and Dota 2 teams. These include a dinner with TALON players, gaming house experiences and other hospitality events. Additionally, fans may have the chance to purchase team merchandise following the deal.
Visa has a longstanding presence in the world of esports, partnering with a number of teams such as Leviatán and Team Liquid. In addition to working with organisations, the financial company has also launched an academy in collaboration with Ukrainian esports organisation Natus Vincere, which aims to be an entry point into Counter-Strike 2 esports for young players.
Sean Zhang, CEO of TALON Esports, commented: “Esports fans are always on the lookout for new experiences and ways to get closer to their teams. We have an engaged fan base of over 20M fans across Asia Pacific and partnering with Visa represents a significant milestone for TALON Esports. Together with Visa, we are ready to deliver unforgettable moments to our fans and achieve even greater success in the gaming arena.”
