The Esports World Cup 2026 concluded its first international edition in Paris, marking the third consecutive year of partnership with stc group as a Founding and Elite Partner. His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, attended the grand final held at the Accor Arena. The event brought together more than 2,000 professional players and 200 clubs representing over 100 countries.
Competitors took part in 25 tournaments across 24 game titles, competing for a combined prize pool valued at more than $75 million. High demand for tickets during Championship Sunday prompted organizers to move the final matches to the Accor Arena to accommodate spectators.
Venues and Dedicated Spaces at Esports World Cup 2026
During the tournament in Paris, stc group maintained naming rights for three dedicated locations across the event footprint. The stc Arena hosted competitive matches for titles including League of Legends, VALORANT, Counter-Strike 2, Rocket League, EA FC 26, Overwatch 2, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. In addition, the company operated the stc Players’ Lounge and the stc Contenders zone.
Grassroots Competitions and Audience Broadcast Reach
Beyond the primary professional stages, stc group organized the Warriors Cup to support amateur participants. This community initiative featured more than 200 tournaments across 16 game titles, attracting over 10,000 players during seven weeks of competition. Furthermore, the company expanded viewer access through dedicated digital broadcast channels.
The dedicated stc tv tournament channel launched on July 5, delivering 10 to 12 hours of daily programming. Between its launch and August 23, the channel generated over 3 million plays, with digital set-top boxes generating the majority of viewership across the region on smart applications.
Network Infrastructure History Across Previous Editions
Saudi Arabia hosted the inaugural edition of the tournament in Riyadh in 2024, reaching over 500 million viewers with a peak audience of 3.5 million. During that event, stc provided telecom infrastructure maintaining 99.9% network availability across competition venues.
The 2025 edition gathered 7 million on-site visitors and distributed $70 million in prizes. To support that tournament, stc expanded network coverage by 20%, deploying 14 dedicated internet circuits with 34 Gbps capacity and 30 mobile sites with speeds exceeding 2 Gbps.
Regulatory Recognition and Long-Term Gaming Strategy
The Communications, Space and Technology Commission has awarded stc group the Platinum Gaming Operator Award for ten consecutive cycles. This recognition follows continuous investments in digital infrastructure and competitive gaming platforms across Saudi Arabia. Three years of collaboration have helped expand the business presence of the tournament across international markets.
