Saudi Arabia has entered into a strategic partnership with the International Olympics Committee, while its Esports World Cup has formed partnerships with Chinese tournament organizer VSPO and China Media Group. These collaborations reinforce the country’s position as the primary global hub for international esports competitions.
Olympic Esports Games
Commencing in 2025, Saudi Arabia will host the inaugural Olympic Esports Games with subsequent events planned at regular intervals. The agreement between the National Olympic Committee of Saudi Arabia and the IOC is set to span over 12 years.
Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, the Saudi Minister of Sport, remarked, “We are a youthful nation, with over 23 million gamers. Our kingdom has emerged as a global hub for professional esports. This is a natural progression for our young athletes, our nation, and the global esports community.”
Prior to this agreement, the Olympics had been exploring esports programming for several years. Regional events such as the Asian Games in 2018 and 2022 (held in 2023), and the Commonwealth Games in 2022 have included esports events. In 2021, the IOC organized the Olympic virtual series and hosted the first Olympic Esports Week in 2023.
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Both IOC events only featured sports simulation games instead of popular esports titles like League of Legends or Counter-Strike, resulting in a lack of resonance with the esports audience. Only Rocket League and Chess garnered significant viewership.
IOC President Thomas Bach stated, “We are privileged to collaborate with the Saudi NOC on the Olympic Esports Games, benefiting from its exceptional expertise in the esports field across all stakeholders.”
Information regarding the Olympic Esports Games event in 2025 is currently limited, but it is expected that the Saudi planned entertainment city, Qiddiya, and its gaming district will host the event.
In addition to the agreement between the IOC and the Saudi NOC, the Esports World Cup Foundation has struck a strategic partnership with China Media Group (CMG) and Chinese tournament organizer VSPO.
CMG recently expanded its operations beyond state TV networks like CCTV by establishing the CMG National Institute for Esports Development in Beijing. The Institute has signed cooperation agreements with the EWCF and VSPO to jointly organize and participate in future esports events.
Dino Ying, chairman of VSPO, expressed, “It’s a great honor to partner with the Chinese Media Group and the Esports World Cup Foundation, marking another significant milestone in Beijing’s support for esports development.”
Prior to CMG’s involvement, the Esports World Cup Foundation and the Olympics had already established ties with VSPO. VSPO collaborated with the EWCF for this year’s $60 million Esports World Cup, operated the IOC’s Olympic Esports Week in 2023, and managed the esports series at the Asian Games in 2023 and 2018. Furthermore, Savvy Games Group, backed by Saudi Arabia’s PIF, invested $265 million into VSPO in 2023.
Esports on the global stage
Through these additional partnerships, Saudi Arabia has further cemented its position as the global hub for international esports competitions.
The Olympics, in particular, adds a new level of prestige and visibility to esports. The Esports World Cup Foundation has now become the de facto global competition and potentially the governing body for esports, including all key titles and stakeholders.
Saudi Arabia’s consolidation of the esports industry has sparked controversy, with accusations of “sportswashing” or “esportswashing” its human rights record. However, its agreement with the IOC demonstrates a commitment to upholding Olympic values.
The Esports World Cup began on July 4 and will run until August 24, 2024.
