Esports World Cup Attracts More Than 500 Million Viewers and Over 2 Million Visitors

Last weekend saw the end of both gamescom 2024 and the Esports World Cup. The esports event attracted more than 500 million viewers and over 2 million on-site visitors. In July and August 2025 the event will return to Riyadh.

The Esports World Cup Foundation, the organisation responsible for hosting the EWC, celebrated the inaugural event by crowning Team Falcons as the inaugural Esports World Cup Club Champion on Sunday night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. At the closing ceremony, the winning team was awarded $7 million in prize money and the Esports World Cup Club Championship trophy, which was presented to CEO Mossad "Msdossary" Al-Dossary by Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia.

Over its eight-week run, the Esports World Cup reached more than 500 million viewers who consumed more than 250 million hours of content, making it the most watched tournament of 2024. It reached its highest peak concurrent audience of 3.5 million viewers during the League of Legends Grand Final, when Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok led T1 to victory over Top Esports. More than 200 esports clubs took part in the Esports World Cup, competing in front of crowds in Riyadh's Boulevard City. In total, more than two million visitors attended the Esports World Cup festival. The event welcomed more than 1,500 esports players from over 100 countries, who competed in 21 games across 22 competitions.

Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, Chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation said: "The Esports World Cup has underscored the transformative impact of esports and the pivotal role that this incomparable industry now plays in cultures and societies all around the world - its inclusive and empowering nature is something truly unique. For eight successive weeks, this unparalleled event has brought the entire international gaming community together like never before - inviting all to participate in this milestone moment in esports history. We could not be more delighted with what's transpired this summer - it's a historic moment in time that Saudi Arabia and the world will always remember fondly."

In total, more than $60 million in prize money was awarded at the Esports World Cup, $20 million of which was reserved for the Club Championship, which was split between the top 16 finishers. "Team Falcons fielded competitors in 18 of the event's 22 game championships, making them the most-represented Club at the Esports World Cup. The Club finished with 5,665 points, including two game championships (Call of Duty: Warzone, Free Fire) and six additional Top 3 finishes. After Team Falcons, Team Liquid (2,545 points, $4 million), Team BDS (2,000 points, $2 million), Team Vitality (1,650 points, $1.5 million) and T1 (1,600 points, $1.25 million) rounded out the Top 5," said the Esports World Cup Foundation.

Ralf Reichert, CEO, Esports World Cup Foundation, said: "The Esports World Cup has been an incredible success in year one, driving global esports to new heights. I'm proud of accomplishing what we set out to do: bringing together the best games, Clubs and players, offering a life-changing prize pool and building the world’s largest esports festival. Congratulations to Team Falcons, who were rewarded for their competitive excellence and investment across many new games by becoming the first Esports World Cup Club Champion. I can't wait to gather the best of the industry again for another epic EWC in 2025!" It will return to Riyadh in July and August 2025.

Faisal bin Homran, Chief Product Officer of the Esports World Cup Foundation, said: "The Esports World Cup was a unique event that brought together the best players, teams, games, and fans in one location. In addition, the Esports World Cup is also a prime example that our investments and our willingness to build projects at this massive scale are primarily aimed to fulfill the passion of our youth for gaming and esports. We are focused on developing esports in Saudi Arabia and we are determined to obtain our vision of developing this sector into a fully functioning industry that tailors to the interests of our local population. Our aim is to become a global hub for gaming and esports; to elevate the sector, contribute meaningfully to its development, and shape its future on a global scale."

The games lineup consisted of (in alphabetic order): Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, Call of Duty: Warzone, Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, EA Sports FC 24, Fortnite, Free Fire, Honor of Kings, League of Legends, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Overwatch 2, PUBG Battlegrounds, PUBG Mobile, ESL R1, Rocket League, StarCraft II, Street Fighter 6, Teamfight Tactics, Tekken 8 and Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6 Siege.

In addition, the 2024 New Global Sport Conference (NGSC) brought together leaders from esports, gaming, business, sport and entertainment to explore The Future of Fandom. Prince Faisal bin Bandar, Ralf Reichert, Magnus Carlsen, Toshimoto Mitomo, Greg Norman, Maya Rogers, RJ Cutler, Dr Songyee Yoon, Sir Leonard Blavatnik and Joe Marsh discussed the impact of fandom on business planning, content, IP and media rights, marketing and community building.