Chinese national television network CCTV+ gains Esports World Cup broadcasting rights

The Esports World Cup, an ongoing esports event in Saudi Arabia organised by the Esports World Cup Foundation, has struck a deal with Chinese national television network CCTV+.

As part of the agreement, EWC matches will be broadcast on CCTV+ channels in China, providing Chinese viewers with more access to the event throughout July and August 2024.

CCTV+ is a video news agency owned by the Chinese national television company CCTV (China Central Television). It focuses on on-demand video content and broadcasts news content in more than 70 countries. The partnership with the Esports World Cup Foundation will make EWC content available for CCTV+ users.

Another recently agreed-upon deal between the Esports World Cup Foundation, VSPO, and the China Media Group made the partnership possible. The China Media Group has recently established a National Esports Development Institute, a key component in bringing EWC content to CCTV+. The Institute’s goal is to be an esports think-tank and allow for “sustainable growth in esports”, according to the EWC.

According to the EWC Foundation, the Institute will “leverage China Media Group’s new 5G + 4K / 8K + AI technology to provide high-quality broadcasts of EWC matches.”

The CCTV+ partnership is a notable move for the EWC. The deal allows the EWC to broadcast matches to a large audience through an official state-recognised company.

The Esports World Cup has been going on for almost a month now, but more partnerships and sponsorships are still being agreed on. Last week, Mastercard was announced as an official partner for the event, joining the list of partners alongside Amazon, Honor, and Pepsi. The event’s connections to Saudi Arabia’s government regime has attracted criticism, with some claiming that the EWC is an event created for “esportswashing“.