The Esports World Cup Foundation has announced a major partnership with global sports marketing and media agency IMG to enhance its worldwide broadcast and content presence for the ongoing tournament in Riyadh. As part of this collaboration, a brand new live broadcast show titled ‘EWC Spotlight’ will air every championship weekend, promising to blend esports coverage with a heavy dose of entertainment and global star power.
Running from July 10 through August 24, the two hour weekly program will stream Friday through Sunday and feature tournament highlights, backstage access, celebrity guest appearances, and curated segments that introduce the world of competitive gaming to new audiences. The show will be produced out of a specially designed studio in Boulevard City, Riyadh, the central hub for this year’s Esports World Cup.
The premiere of ‘EWC Spotlight’ will begin with a performance by Post Malone at the official opening ceremony, setting the stage for an entertainment driven esports experience. Hosts Hugh Woozencroft and Rachel Stringer will lead viewers through every episode, and more than 60 celebrities from around the world are expected to make appearances across the season.
In a statement, Esports World Cup Foundation CEO Ralf Reichert emphasized the show's purpose as a cultural bridge. He stated that EWC Spotlight is designed to go beyond traditional esports audiences and reach new fans globally, blending the energy of competitive gaming with the familiarity of sports and entertainment programming. He also noted that partnering with IMG would ensure the production quality and distribution scale that such an ambitious show demands.
IMG will produce over 50 hours of original content, including digital shorts, social content, and a feature length documentary profiling the major teams competing in this year’s tournament. It will also handle global rights management and international broadcast distribution through Story10, a video agency operated jointly by IMG and The Associated Press under the SNTV brand.
EWC Spotlight will air on major broadcast platforms around the world, including Fox Sports in the United States, DAZN across 16 countries, beIN in the Middle East, Channel 7 in Australia, TRT in Turkey, Astro in Malaysia, and several others. The reach of this content push indicates a strategic move by the Esports World Cup Foundation to expand esports into mainstream global viewership.
IMG is no stranger to the esports scene. Over the years, it has managed partnerships and media rights for industry giants like EA Sports, Riot Games, PGL Esports, BLAST, and even the International Olympic Committee’s esports initiatives. Its involvement is expected to bring production credibility and global exposure to EWC 2025.
While the event continues to attract massive investment and international partners, it also remains under the microscope due to its backing from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Critics have raised concerns over esports washing and pointed to the Kingdom’s human rights record as a point of ongoing controversy. Still, the sheer scale and ambition of the event continue to position it as one of the most watched esports spectacles of the year.
As the EWC unfolds, ‘EWC Spotlight’ promises to offer fans and newcomers alike a new way to experience the tournament, bridging worlds through entertainment, stories, and unmatched access.
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