The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF), the organizing body for the annual showpiece esports event (with the 2025 edition taking place currently), has announced a new broadcast-focused partnership with global sports and entertainment agency IMG.
Through a deal unveiled today, IMG will oversee the production rights management and distribution of Esports World Cup broadcasts, including on international broadcasts via its SNTV joint venture.
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SNTV, which was jointly established by IMG and the Associated Press, has been appointed to distribute daily video content to global media outlets via its Story10 agency arm.
This means that, alongside managing the Esports World Cup’s content strategy, IMG will craft and produce over 50 hours of programming across the tournament, including live coverage, ancillary content for social media and digital channels, and more, with the aim of expanding the event’s global reach.
To this end, IMG will also collaborate with the EWCF on the production of a weekly two-hour magazine show, launching on July 10, called EWC Spotlight, which will include highlights, interviews, and other ancillary programming around the event.
Speaking on the partnership and on EWC Spotlight in particular, EWCF chief executive Ralf Reichert has said: “With EWC Spotlight, we’re creating a new gateway into esports, not just for the millions already engaged, but for the billions yet to discover their passion for competitive gaming.
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By GlobalData“By blending elite competition, mainstream entertainment, and cultural storytelling, we're breaking barriers between esports and traditional media.
“Partnering with IMG, a global leader in sports production and content, allows us to show the world what esports truly represents: an evolution in global entertainment, sports, and culture.”
EWC Spotlight will be available exclusively via a select number of broadcast partners globally, including over-the-top streaming service DAZN (16 international markets), US media giant Fox Sports, BeIN in the Middle East and North Africa, and more.
The 2025 Esports World Cup, hosted once again in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (the host of the inaugural 2024 event), began on July 7 and will run through August 24.
Barney Francis, the executive vice president for studios at IMG, added: “Combining IMG’s premium production capabilities and creativity with our team of global media experts and strategists, this partnership enables us to provide an elevated viewer experience for fans worldwide, as they watch their favourite teams and personalities battle it out on a world stage.”
