Esports World Cup begins with record $70M-plus prize pool

The 2025 Esports World Cup began on Tuesday with organizers planning the largest esports production in history, featuring more than 7,000 hours of programming from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The Esports World Cup runs through Aug. 24, with competition being held across four arenas and 26 unique studios. The dedicated production staff includes more than 550 people, along with an event crew of more than 300 people on site to capture the live action, produce highlights and produce interviews.

The planned 7,000-plus hours of live coverage spanning the seven-week event represents a 55 percent increase from 2024. In all, 140 countries will receive live EWC broadcasts.

Global distribution partners includes FOX Sports and DAZN in the United States; Eurosport, DAZN and L'Equipe across Europe; TOD.tv, MBC, TRT and ITV in MENA; SuperSport and StarTimes in Africa; and Channel 7, Astro, TAP, Abema, Kuaishou, Douyin, and NAVER in Asia-Pacific.

All EWC tournaments will also be streamed live on Twice, YouTube and TikTok.

"The scale of the Esports World Cup 2025 is next-level big, marking a significant milestone in how esports is experienced globally," Esports World Cup Foundation CEO Ralf Reichert said in a statement. "With over 7,000 hours of live programming distributed to more than 140 countries and in 35 languages, we're making esports more accessible and culturally resonant for audiences worldwide.

"Crucially, this extensive global reach is fueling the sustainable growth of esports as a whole, made possible by our partnerships with game publishers, clubs, media platforms, and a passionate global community. Together, we're shaping esports into a mainstream, culturally significant, and economically viable global sport for generations to come."

The 2025 EWC will include more than 2,000 esports competitors representing more than 200 clubs and 100 countries. The event features a unique cross-game format that rewards clubs and players competing for prize pools topping a record total of more than $70 million across 25 tournaments and 24 games.

--Field Level Media