The Esports World Cup concluded its first edition outside Saudi Arabia last month in Paris, attracting over 2,000 professional players and 200 clubs from more than 100 countries. The event featured 25 competitions across 24 game titles, with a total prize pool surpassing $75 million.
From Riyadh to Paris: A tournament scales up
The EWC began in Riyadh in 2024. Its relocation to Paris two years later signaled a change in both location and scope. The 2026 edition occupied the Accor Arena, one of the city’s largest indoor venues, for its final day. Organizers moved Championship Sunday there after ticket demand exceeded the original venue’s capacity.
stc group, a Saudi digital infrastructure provider, has served as a founding and elite partner since the tournament’s launch. Its contributions have expanded as the EWC grew. In 2024, the company delivered network support for over 10,000 players with 99.9% uptime. The following year, the event drew three million on-site visitors, prompting stc to increase network coverage by over 20%.
Their role extends beyond connectivity. stc Arena in Paris hosted seven major titles: VALORANT, League of Legends, Counter-Strike 2, Rocket League, EA FC 26, Overwatch 2, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. The stc Player’s Lounge and Contenders program provided spaces for competitors and emerging talent.
The Warriors Cup offered a separate track for amateur players. More than 10,000 participants entered over 200 tournaments across 16 games. Few esports events create such a direct route from amateur to professional play.
Broadcast reach also expanded. stc introduced a dedicated EWC channel on its streaming service, stc tv, on July 5. The channel aired 10 to 12 hours of daily coverage, including live matches, highlights, and analysis. By August 23, it had recorded over three million views.
Esports often faces perceptions of being a niche interest, but the EWC’s scale challenges that view. The 2024 edition attracted 500 million global viewers, surpassing the NBA Finals and the UEFA Champions League final. Yet discussions about esports frequently emphasize future potential rather than current impact.
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For players, particularly those outside major gaming hubs, events like the EWC provide more than financial rewards. They offer visibility, sponsorship deals, and a chance to compete globally without relocating. The Warriors Cup doesn’t just identify talent—it establishes a pipeline where none existed before. This benefits both players and the games themselves, which depend on a steady stream of new competitors to remain relevant.
The partnership also highlights how Middle Eastern companies are engaging with global entertainment. stc isn’t merely funding the event—it’s constructing the infrastructure, from networks to broadcast channels, that makes these competitions possible. The Communications, Space and Technology Commission has named the company a Platinum Gaming Operator for ten consecutive cycles, a status that carries significance in an industry where reliability is critical.
A model that travels
The EWC’s shift to Paris wasn’t just a change of location. It served as a test: Could a tournament originating in Riyadh thrive in a European market with its own esports traditions? The sold-out final and three million streams suggest it could.
That outcome wasn’t coincidental. stc’s involvement in the tournament’s growth—supporting connectivity, broadcasting, and amateur pathways—resembles how traditional sports leagues have expanded. The NFL didn’t achieve global success by chance; it invested in infrastructure, fan access, and grassroots initiatives. Esports is adopting a similar approach, and the EWC is among the first to implement it at this level.
The collaboration between stc and the EWC goes beyond sponsorship. It aims to create a replicable model. If Paris serves as any indication, that model may be ready for broader adoption.
As cloud platforms enable new digital ecosystems, events like the EWC demonstrate how infrastructure investments can reshape entertainment globally.
