Latest news with #EsportsWorldCupFoundation
Economy ME
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Economy ME
Riyadh strengthens global tourism image with world's largest esports tournament
Riyadh is reinforcing its status as a premier global destination by hosting the Esports World Cup, a landmark event that showcases the dynamic intersection of digital culture and international tourism. Held at Boulevard Riyadh City, the tournament marks a major milestone in Saudi Arabia's growing global profile, underlining the kingdom's progress in infrastructure, event organization, and integrated tourism experiences. It also reflects the broader transformation of gaming — from local street culture to cutting-edge digital arenas embraced by the capital with innovation and distinction. Running from July 7 to August 24, the seven-week tournament has drawn over 2,000 elite international players competing in a wide array of the world's most popular esports titles. The event has quickly become the largest entertainment experience of its kind globally, with broadcasts in more than 35 languages reaching audiences across 140 countries. The strong international presence of players, teams, fans, and media has significantly boosted tourism in Riyadh. Thousands of visitors are experiencing a unique blend of high-tech entertainment, cultural showcases, and local attractions, further solidifying the kingdom's reputation as a welcoming and globally connected destination. The Esports World Cup is a landmark event that showcases the dynamic intersection of digital culture and international tourism in Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia launches massive summer 2025 tourism campaign to attract global visitors International media outlets are offering extensive coverage of the event, providing live reports on Riyadh's cultural vibrancy and tourist appeal, while sharing visitor experiences and public engagement. The spotlight on the capital continues to grow as the city hosts this unprecedented fusion of global competition and cultural exchange. To amplify real-time coverage, the Esports World Cup Foundation launched the EWC_Extra channel on social platforms X and Instagram, spotlighting key tournament moments and standout player performances. In its first week alone, the initiative recorded a 167 percent rise in viewership and a 267 percent increase in video views. The momentum builds on the success of last year's inaugural Esports World Cup, which drew more than 500 million viewers worldwide, logged 252 million viewing hours, and reached a peak of 6.3 million concurrent viewers, setting a strong precedent for the tournament's continued growth and international appeal.
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Saudia Joins Esports World Cup as Official Airline Partner, Advancing Sports Tourism in the Kingdom
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, July 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Saudia, the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, has announced the signing of a partnership with the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF), becoming the Official Airline Partner of the tournament. The collaboration aims to support sports and entertainment tourism while promoting summer destinations across the Kingdom. This coincides with Riyadh hosting the second edition of the global tournament, taking place from July 7 to August 24, 2025, at Boulevard City. A global first of its kind, the agreement was signed virtually using an interactive digital platform, marking a milestone in how partnerships can be formalized through immersive, tech-enabled experiences. This innovative approach bridges the worlds of aviation and esports, reflecting a forward-thinking embrace of digital technology in building future-ready collaborations. This partnership aligns with Saudia's commitment to supporting the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, particularly those related to positioning the Kingdom as a global hub for esports and diversifying its tourism offerings. Under the agreement, Saudia will offer exclusive travel packages and special offers for fans and visitors attending the tournament. These will include premium hospitality and onboard entertainment services, alongside international marketing campaigns promoting the Kingdom as an attractive global destination for both sports and tourism. Mohammed Al-Nimer, Chief Commercial Officer at the Esports World Cup Foundation, commented: 'This partnership with Saudia is a key pillar in connecting esports fans and professionals to the Kingdom and in strengthening the international profile of the tournament. It reflects the Kingdom's ambition to become a global hub for major esports.' Khaled Tash, Group Chief Marketing Officer at Saudia, said: 'Saudia is proud to be the Official Airline Partner of the Esports World Cup 2025, an event that underscores the Kingdom's rise as a global hub for world-class sporting events. This partnership reflects our ongoing commitment to supporting national initiatives that drive tourism growth and promote the development of sports tourism. We are leveraging our expertise and capabilities to deliver a seamless and elevated travel experience for tournament guests that embodies the quality of our services, the warmth of Saudi hospitality, and the Kingdom's global appeal.' The 2025 Esports World Cup will host 25 tournaments across 24 game titles, bringing together over 2,000 elite players and 200 Clubs from more than 100 countries. With a record-breaking prize pool of over $70 million, the event will offer fans a comprehensive entertainment experience, from high-stakes competition and live music to anime cafés, retro arcades, cosplay showcases, and more, cementing Riyadh's position as a global esports and entertainment hub. Through this partnership, Saudia further cements its role as an enabler for international events, placing guest experience at the heart of its priorities and contributing to the advancement of Saudi Arabia's tourism and aviation sectors. About Saudia: Saudia (Saudia Airlines) is the national flag carrier of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Established in 1945, the company has grown to become one of the Middle East's largest airlines. Saudia has invested significantly in upgrading its aircraft and currently operates one of the youngest fleet with 148 aircraft. The airline serves an extensive global route network covering around 100 destinations across four continents, including all 28 domestic airports in Saudi Arabia. A member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO), Saudia has also been a member airline in SkyTeam, the second largest alliance, since 2012. Saudia was recently recognized as the World's Most Improved Airline 2024 by Skytrax, marking the third time it has received this accolade, alongside 14 other distinguished awards. Saudia has also been awarded the 'World Class Airline 2024' for the third consecutive year at The APEX Official Airline Ratings™ awards. Additionally, also ranked top among global airlines for best on-time performance (OTP) according to a report by Cirium. For more information on Saudia, please visit About The Esports World Cup The Esports World Cup (EWC) is a premier annual sporting event and global celebration of competitive excellence and esports fandom. The competition features a unique cross-game format that pits the world's top esports clubs against one another for the largest prize pool in esports history. Returning to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in the summer of 2025, the EWC will bring gaming and esports communities together again to crown the next Esports World Cup Club Champion. To learn more about EWC, visit and follow Esports World Cup Foundation on LinkedIn. Esports World Cup media contact: Anna Rozwandowicz Head of PR Esports World Cup media contact: press@ A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
Leaders
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Leaders
Saudi Arabia Leads Charge in Esports with EWC_Extra Channel Launch
In a groundbreaking move for the global esports community, the Esports World Cup Foundation has launched the EWC_Extra channel on both X and Instagram. This launch underscores Saudi Arabia's pivotal role in advancing Esports worldwide. With a focus on live competition coverage, capturing the most thrilling moments, and delivering the latest news from the world's largest tournament, Saudi Arabia continues to set new standards in the Esports arena. Expanding Coverage and Engagement The EWC_Extra channel offers real-time content from 25 tournaments within the Esports World Cup 2025. It aims to reveal surprising moments from the competitions, showcase top player performances, highlight content creators' posts, and provide behind-the-scenes insights, pre-match activities, and more to the audience and Esports enthusiasts. This channel, alongside the main Esports World Cup channel, forms a dual-content system that ensures comprehensive coverage of the tournament events. While the main channel focuses on human interest stories and cultural content involving players, teams, fans, and talents, EWC_Extra focuses on the tournament's events, providing fast, direct, and specialized Esports coverage. As the number of games and events increases and competitions intensify, the demand for instant content about the Esports World Cup 2025 is skyrocketing. In just the first week of the tournament, viewership increased by 167%, while video views surged by 267%. Fan engagement continues to rise across all channels, especially with live broadcasts reaching over 140 countries and offering more than 7000 hours of coverage. This growth is further bolstered by the support of global stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Magnus Carlsen, contributing to Saudi Arabia's vision of offering a new concept in competitive gaming experiences within the gaming and Esports sector. Celebrating Champions and Rising Stars The first two weeks of the Esports World Cup 2025 witnessed intense competitions, resulting in the crowning of eight champions across various games. Team Gen.G continued its winning streak to claim the League of Legends title. Heretics secured a sweeping victory in VALORANT, while VK took home the Apex Legends championship. Redline maintained its dominance in Rennsport, and GO1 achieved a surprising win over the previously dominant Xiao Hai in the Fatal Fury tournament. Team Spirit lost only one match on its way to the Dota 2 title. Team Vitality maintained an unbeaten record to claim the ML:BB women's championship. EVOS Esports achieved a decisive victory in Free Fire, with the brilliant 15-year-old player Rasyah earning the accolade of best player in the tournament. The Esports World Cup 2025 continues until 24 August, featuring over 2000 players representing 200 clubs. They will compete in 25 tournaments across 24 games for massive prizes totaling over $70 million. Saudi Arabia's commitment to Esports is evident in its efforts to provide a platform that not only celebrates competitive gaming but also engages and excites fans worldwide. Short link : Post Views: 8
Campaign ME
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Campaign ME
Esports World Cup launches game-first social channel: EWC_Extra
The Esports World Cup Foundation has launched EWC_Extra, a dedicated social channel on X and Instagram to focus on real-time coverage, community reactions and key moments from inside the arena. Built for the most passionate community across EWC's 25 tournaments, EWC_Extra is the home of play-by-play content – from tournament upsets and MVP performances to memes, creator posts and behind-the-scenes access, capturing the competition match by match. EWC_Extra joins the EWC's main channel to form a two-part content ecosystem that reflects the scale of the world's biggest esports event. While the main channel delivers human stories and cultural context, including players, teams, fans, talent and entertainment, EWC_Extra stays focused on the tournament action itself: fast, direct and esports-first. Running through August 24, Esports World Cup 2025 brings together 2,000 players and 200 Clubs to compete in 25 tournaments across 24 games, for a record-breaking $70+ million prize pool. Backed by global icons Cristiano Ronaldo and Magnus Carlsen, and broadcast in 140 countries with over 7,000 hours of live content, EWC 2025 is redefining how competitive gaming is produced and experienced. Two weeks into the Esports World Cup 2025, eight Champions have been crowned and the stage has seen major upsets and dominant runs. Gen.G continued their historic streak to take the League of Legends title, Heretics won VALORANT in a dramatic reverse sweep, VK claimed Apex Legends with a final-game victory, and Redline defended their Rennsport title. GO1 delivered a shock win over favourite Xiao Hai in Fatal Fury, while Team Spirit dropped just one game on their way to the Dota 2 crown. Team Vitality went unbeaten to take the MLBB Women's Invitational. EVOS Esports triumphed in Free Fire, with 15-year-old wonderkid Rasyah securing the tournament MVP award. With more games, venues and storytelling than ever before, demand for real-time content has never been higher. In the first week alone, impressions have grown 167 per cent, video views are up 267 per cent, and fan engagement continues to rise across all channels.
Leaders
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Leaders
Team Vitality Women's Team Wins MLBB Title at 2025 Esports World Cup
The French women's team Team Vitality triumphed in the 2025 Esports World Cup, capturing the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Women's Invitational (MWI) title and the $150,000 first-place prize from a $500,000 total prize pool. The win also earned the team 1,000 points in the global rankings, strengthening their position in the race for the world's largest esports and gaming event. The Indonesian players of Team Vitality – Fumi, Vival, Cinny, Chell, and Vivian – delivered a flawless performance throughout the five-day tournament at SNB Arena, which took place from July 15 to 19. The team remained unbeaten on their way to the championship, avenging their loss in last year's Esports World Cup final. Cinny (Cindy Siswaanto) was named Best Player of the tournament and received a $10,000 prize. Speaking at the post-victory press conference, her teammate Vivian Indrawati shared, 'We are filled with joy right now. All of our players possess high discipline, skill, and experience. We always strive to be our best, never giving our opponents any victory or hope, and we aim for total control in every aspect of the game.' The Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Women's Invitational (MWI) is a cornerstone of the professional Mobile Legends tournament calendar, providing a platform for aspiring women players to showcase their talents on the global stage. This year's edition was the largest in MWI's history, with 16 teams competing, up from 12 teams in 2024. Qualifiers spanned 57 regions worldwide, compared to 46 regions in the previous year. These efforts reflect the ongoing commitment of both the Esports World Cup Foundation and MOONTON Games to support and expand the involvement of women in professional esports. The second week of competition continues with three major titles, with Dota 2 wrapping up today. Tomorrow, the champions of League of Legends and Free Fire will be crowned. For more information about the 2025 Esports World Cup, visit: Short link : Post Views: 1
