Saudi Arabia lands hosting rights for 2025’s inaugural Olympic Esports Games

The GIST: On Friday, the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Saudi Arabia and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) finalized a 12-year deal that awards the Gulf nation hosting rights of next year’s inaugural Olympic Esports Games.

• It’s the latest monumental sports deal for Saudi Arabia, which continues to build its sports hub reputation by eyeing massive global contests like World Cups and Olympic Games. Playin’ (video) games.

The deal: Though the Esports Games are an official Olympic event under IOC purview, they will have a separate organizational and financial model from the Summer and Winter Games. They will be held regularly, but dates, video games to be played, and the qualifying process for players are still up in the air.

The Esports Games: The Games are exactly what you’d imagine: They’re a version of the Olympics where players representing their respective nations compete to become the world’s top esports athletes. The idea has been kicked around for a while, but last month, the IOC executive board officially proposed its creation in an effort to engage younger audiences.

The resume: The country has made calculated plays across a variety of sports, from purchasing European men’s football clubs to enticing top footballers to sign with Saudi teams. The nation’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is responsible for funding LIV Golf and signing deals with the ATP and WTA (and its star players), and Aramco is one of the Ladies European Tour’s biggest backers.

The gaming background: After pledging $40B in esports industry spend between 2022–30, the nation has been busy, including hosting the 2023 FIFAe World Cup and this month’s inaugural Esports World Cup (EWC), which has a record prize pool of over $60M and 27 sponsors.

• Becoming an esports destination furthers the nation’s Vision 2030 goals, in which Saudi Arabia is seen as a world tech capital appealing to investors and younger tourists. Prince Abdulaziz says his country has more than 23M gamers in its 36M population, two-thirds of whom are under 35.

• Amid continued human rights abuses, Saudi Arabia’s increased esports expenditure is facing similar sportswashing allegations to its investments in men’s golf, men’s soccer, and women’s tennis.

Zooming out: Saudi Arabia’s strategy is clear: It leverages its deep pockets to make power plays in the global sports game — especially when those moves put the country in the hosting spotlight.

• The Gulf nation already hosted the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup, it will host the next three WTA Finals, and it’s targeting the 2034 World Cup and 2035 Women’s World Cup. Plus, it seems to be taking the same tack with the Olympics, esports and otherwise. Is Riyadh 2036 next?