IOC and Saudi Arabia End Olympic Esports Partnership in Mutual Breakup
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Saudi Arabian sports officials announced that they will be parting ways as part of a 12-year esports partnership agreement. The mutually agreed breakup comes just weeks after the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia led by Public Investment Fund purchased Electronic Arts for $55 billion.
Prior to the break-up, both parties were engaged in discussions about hosting Olympic Esports Games every two years. They had also made plans to host subsequent installments of these games in cities such as South Korea and the US, although it was not clear what specific events would take place there.
Now, according to a statement from the IOC, the partnership has been brought to an end with both parties going their separate ways. The IOC plans to expand the opportunities presented by Olympic Esports Games to more countries, while looking forward to hosting the inaugural games as soon as possible.
It is worth noting that this development comes during the presidency of Kristy Coventry at the IOC, seven months into her tenure. While details regarding how the partnership fell apart are not available, officials from both parties stated their commitment to carrying on with separate esports ambitions.
Critics argue that if the IOC wishes to market itself as a champion of positive values, it may struggle in achieving this goal through Olympic Esports Games that are heavily focused on competitive gaming.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Saudi Arabian sports officials announced that they will be parting ways as part of a 12-year esports partnership agreement. The mutually agreed breakup comes just weeks after the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia led by Public Investment Fund purchased Electronic Arts for $55 billion.
Prior to the break-up, both parties were engaged in discussions about hosting Olympic Esports Games every two years. They had also made plans to host subsequent installments of these games in cities such as South Korea and the US, although it was not clear what specific events would take place there.
Now, according to a statement from the IOC, the partnership has been brought to an end with both parties going their separate ways. The IOC plans to expand the opportunities presented by Olympic Esports Games to more countries, while looking forward to hosting the inaugural games as soon as possible.
It is worth noting that this development comes during the presidency of Kristy Coventry at the IOC, seven months into her tenure. While details regarding how the partnership fell apart are not available, officials from both parties stated their commitment to carrying on with separate esports ambitions.
Critics argue that if the IOC wishes to market itself as a champion of positive values, it may struggle in achieving this goal through Olympic Esports Games that are heavily focused on competitive gaming.
! I thought for sure those two were gonna make some magic happen with their esports partnership. Now it's like they're just gonna go their separate ways and see what sticks, you know? 
The IOC is trying to expand the Olympic Games to be more inclusive, but at the same time, critics are saying that this esports stuff is kinda at odds with those positive values, if you ask me 
. I don't know, maybe I'm just old school about video games being weirdly competitive 
. Either way, it'll be interesting to see how this plays out...
guess you can take your games and shove 'em elsewhere, IOC 
.
i feel bad for the icoc 'cause they were so hyped about gettin an esports partner and now its just bust 
like whats goin wrong with the games already? dont get me wrong, i think it's cool that saudi arabia wanna invest in gaming but maybe they shoulda been more transparent about their plans instead of gettin all cozy for a sec 
anywayz, lets see how kristy coventry handles this situation - gotta keep those esports dreams alive 
. and also, why is this happening at a time when SA has just bought EA for 55 billion dollars 
? seems kinda weird to me. i mean, im no expert but isnt esports supposed to be all about positive values like fair play and sportsmanship? 
. According to a report from Deloitte, the global esports market was worth around $1.5 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow to $3.2 billion by 2028 
. That's crazy growth! 
. But what about the potential backlash from critics? I guess we'll have to wait and see how it plays out 
.
. But at the same time, I can see why the IOC might want to take control of how the games are run - they've gotta keep their brand clean if you know what I mean 
. And let's be real, Saudi Arabia's got some... let's say 'issues' that might make it hard for them to co-host events with other countries 
. Can't say I'm super disappointed though - at least we'll get to see some new countries hosting these events instead of just a few 
. On the one hand, it's good that they're looking out for more opportunities... but on the other hand, it might be harder for them to live up to their hype 
.
i dont no wut went wrong but i guess its clear dat dey were just doin diff tings. i mean, u hear about da recent EA deal & now its like "bye felicia" 
. de IOC's all like "ok we gon expand dis esports thang 2 more countries" 