ESL Faceit Group, the largest third-party esports tournament organizer, has announced a multi-year partnership with the Esports World Cup. EFG will continue to serve as the global competition’s official operating partner in the years to come.
“Esports World Cup is one of the most ambitious new global sports events to ever take place,” said Craig Levine, co-CEO of ESL Faceit Group. “It’s a historic step forward for esports’ global growth, and the results so far are a testament to the collaboration of both teams, our deep-rooted relationships with industry stakeholders, and our unrivaled understanding of how gamers celebrate esports. As we approach the end of this life-changing tournament we’re already looking forward to continuing to shape the future of sports fandom and entertainment powered by esports and gaming — not just through the end of August, but for years to come.”
The inaugural EWC is only half way done and it’s already breaking records. Fans have watched over 175 million hours of the $60 million tournament in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Deepening EFG’s ties to the EWC
As the Esports World Cup’s official operating partner, EFG provides tournament production and broadcasting capabilities for the event. Additionally, ESL Faceit Group has worked closely with the Esports World Cup Foundation to develop its global marketing strategy and product proposition.
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The partnership will leverage ESL Faceit Group’s existing portfolio of events, such as ESL One, IEM and DreamHack, as well as its online Faceit platform to engage with players year-round. Prior to this year’s EWC, EFG hosted global qualifiers for the event using these products.
“The Esports World Cup is delivering premier competition at a scale never seen before, giving 3.4 billion gaming fans around the globe a true spectacle, providing players with life-changing prize money and crowning the first Club Champion,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO, Esport World Cup Foundation. “EFG’s operational excellence and industry-leading experience have been invaluable as we execute this world first event, and we’re excited to lean on our multi-year partnership as we look to expand Esport World Cup programming and accelerate the industry’s growth.”
The partnership between the Esports World Cup and ESL Faceit Group is unsurprising given the deep financial and leadership ties between the two organizations.
The Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund-owned Savvy Games Group acquired EFG’s constituent companies for $1.5 billion in January 2022. In turn, the PIF is also funding the EWC. And while the EWCF is distinct from ESL Faceit Group, Reichert was a cofounder of ESL and previously served as its CEO.
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