Star Sports Network Secures Esports World Cup Media Rights

Star Sports India partners with the Esports World Cup

India-based TV network Star Sports Network and the Esports World Cup Foundation announced this week that the India-based Disney subsidiary has secured the broadcasting rights in the region to the Esports World Cup, which officially begins this week in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and runs until Aug. 25.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Esports is rapidly emerging as a significant force, fuelled by India’s burgeoning gaming culture and its recognition on the global stage,” said Vikram Passi, Head Marketing – Sports, Disney Star. “The BGMI Masters’ Series, in just a few seasons, has firmly established itself as a premier tournament in India, demonstrating the immense potential for world-class Esports competitions. With the upcoming Esports World Cup broadcast, we aim to expand our audience base, energize the gaming community, and foster greater acceptance of Esports among non-gamers. This event will not only captivate dedicated Esports enthusiasts but also engage a younger demographic across our platforms, driving a broader appreciation for the competitive gaming landscape.”

Star Sports Network is part of a block of pay television sports channels in India owned by Disney Star, a subsidiary of Disney India.

The Esports World Cup is a multi-week, multi-discipline esports competition running from July 3 – Aug. 25, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, funded by a grant from the Saudi Arabian government, while competitions are being facilitated by ESL FACEIT Group, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Savvy Games Group. Savvy is owned by the Saudi government’s Public Investment Fund and its Chairman of the board is Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler HRH Crown Prince MBS. EFG is home to tournament organizer ESL, Esports Engine, competition platform FACEIT, and esports and gaming festival company DreamHack.

This week’s schedule (Week 1) will feature the following games:

Call of Duty: Warzone Teams:

• AG Global
• Al Ula
• BSL
• Cloud9
• Fnatic
• Gaimin Gladiators
• Guild Esports
• Natus Vincere
• New Icons
• OMiT
• Onyx Ravens
• SGP Syndicate
• Team abWizz
• Team Destroy
• Team Falcons
• Team Heretics
• Team iZund
• Team Vision
• Team Vitality
• Team xizx7
• Twisted Minds

Dota 2 (Riyadh Masters) Teams:

• Aurora
• Azure Ray
• Beastcoast
• BetBoom Team
• Blacklist International
• Entity
• G2 x iG
• Gaimin Gladiators
• HEROIC
• LGD Gaming
• MOUZ
• Nouns
• OG Esports
• PSG Quest
• Team Falcons
• Team Liquid
• Team Spirit
• Tundra Esports
• Virtus.pro
• WBG.XG

League of Legends Teams:

• Bilibili Gaming
• FlyQuest
• Fnatic
• G2 Esports
• Gen.G
• T1
• Team Liquid Honda
• Top Esports

ML:BB Teams:

• Brute Force
• Cloud9
• Entity7
• EVOS Glory
• Falcon Esports
• Falcons
• AP.Bren
• Fire Flux Esports
• Fnatic ONIC
• HomeBois
• IHC Esports
• KeepBest Gaming
• Liquid Echo
• NIP Flash
• RRQ Akira
• S2G Esports
• See You Soon
• Selangor Red Giants
• Team Falcons
• Team Spirit
• Trained to Kill
• Twisted Minds
• Xianyou Gaming
• Zino Zenith