Featured Image: Esports World Cup
The ongoing Esports World Cup has attracted roughly 289,000 visitors, with competitions selling more than 60,000 tickets so far.
The event, which began on July 4 and finishes on August 25, is taking place in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh and boasts a record prize pool of $60m (£47m/€54m).
It has also drawn a total of 177.5 million hours watched during its first four weeks, and has gained high interest across social media with more than one billion impressions collectively, 270 million social video views, and 58 million total social engagements.
“After four quick weeks, the Esports World Cup has already surpassed our highest expectations,” said Ralf Reichert, chief executive of the Esports World Cup Foundation.
“When we started this journey, our goal was to leapfrog the esports industry with a historic global event uniting the best games, players and Clubs, and reach fans beyond the core esports enthusiasts, while tapping into the 3.4 billion gamers around the world.
“I’m proud that we’re well on our way to achieving that goal here in Riyadh with hundreds of millions of viewers at home, and over a million visiting onsite, shattering not only our expectations, but also a lot of 2024 esports records.”
During the third week of the Esports World Cup, football players Neymar and Diogo Jota paid a visit.
Brazilian Neymar plays for Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League while Portugal’s Jota turns out for English side Liverpool.
Both have interests in esports with Neymar co-owning Furia Esports and Jota owning his own eponymous team.
“Being here at the inaugural Esports World Cup is a truly amazing experience,” said Jota.
“The organisation and scale behind this event are truly impressive, even more than I anticipated. I’ve always believed in the potential of esports, even before starting my own team, and EWC is proof that this scene is evolving rapidly.
“This level of investment and infrastructure is exactly what esports needs to grow and reach a wider audience. I’m excited to see how EWC continues to evolve and push the boundaries of competitive gaming.”
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