Drone Shows and Fireworks Kick Off the Esports World Cup
According to the tournament's official account, which returns for its second consecutive year in Riyadh, the drone show begins at 9:00 PM, followed by fireworks at 10:15 PM.
Coinciding with the opening, extensive media coverage and live broadcasts will deliver the event's atmosphere and competitions to esports fans in 140 countries, translated into over 35 languages, through more than 90 media partners.
This year's edition offers more than 7,000 hours of content over seven weeks, from July 7 to August 24, across four main arenas and 26 specialized studios, supervised by an international team of over 550 professionals. This marks the largest media experience in esports history and the second largest in global sports, reflecting Saudi Arabia's commitment to advancing esports and becoming a global leader in the field.
The global broadcast spans major media outlets and platforms such as:
• FOX Sports, NBC, DAZN in the USA
• Eurosport, L'Equipe in Europe
• MBC, TOD.tv, TRT, ITV in the MENA region
• SuperSport, StarTimes in Africa
• Channel 7, Astro, Abema, Kuaishou, Douyin, NAVER in Asia-Pacific
• All competitions will also be livestreamed on Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok.
From a production standpoint, the event utilizes over 5,550 meters of steel structures, with 3,000 square meters of LED screens, 2,600 lighting units, and is managed by over 550 broadcast crew members and 300 field staff, using 325 wireless devices, 250 control panels, and 175 cameras connected to 41 servers to deliver live coverage and replays — all distributed across four main arenas and four side stages. This sophisticated infrastructure demonstrates Saudi Arabia's goal to deliver an immersive experience combining competition, engagement, and top-tier digital broadcasting standards.
The 2024 edition attracted over 500 million viewers, with 252 million hours watched, a peak of 6.3 million concurrent viewers, and television coverage reaching 311 million households. Content was broadcast across over 2,000 platforms, generating 3.5 billion impressions and $1.2 billion in media value, placing the Esports World Cup among the largest and most culturally impactful sporting events globally.
This year's media model emphasizes collaboration with content creators and influencers, highlighting a modern approach to digital entertainment and solidifying the Esports World Cup's place as a core form of entertainment for the next generation.
In 2025, the tournament features over 2,000 professional players from 200 clubs across 100+ countries, competing in 25 tournaments across 24 titles, with a record-breaking prize pool exceeding $70 million — the largest in esports history.
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