Esports data company Bayes Esports has announced a partnership with the Esports World Cup, a cross-title esports tournament series in Saudi Arabia organised by the Esports World Cup Foundation.
As a result of the deal, Bayes will take the role of official data supplier for the event, which features a total of 20 different esports competitions.
Bayes Esports and the Esports World Cup said in a release that the partnership is part of a commitment to safeguarding data integrity and building sustainable growth in esports.
The pair said they will aim to use data collected during the Esports World Cup to enhance community engagement throughout the event.
The inaugural Esports World Cup takes place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from July 4th until August 25th 2024.
The Esports World Cup will feature a wide variety of games including almost all notable esport titles including the likes of Call of Duty, League of Legends, EA Sports FC 24, Street Fighter 6, and more. Bayes Esports is the latest partner to be announced by the Esports World Cup, following deals with the likes of Sony and Saudi Arabian real estate megaproject Qiddiya.
The partnership comes after key personnel appointments at Bayes in May, which included the promotion of Amir Mirzaee to Co-CEO, and saw Christopher Bohlmann announced as the company’s new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The company also extended its existing data partnership with betting content company BETER earlier in June.
Amir Mirzaee, Co-CEO and Managing Director of Bayes Esports, spoke on the deal: “It is an honor to be selected as a key partner in supporting this incredibly ambitious and important event in esports.
“Bayes Esports has always been a pioneer in esports, and partnering with the Esports World Cup marks a historic milestone. It reflects all the hard work that we’ve done in the past to drive community engagement and integrity in the esports industry.”
The Esports World Cup Foundation is a Saudi Arabian government-founded non-profit. Its Esports World Cup has drawn criticism from some industry stakeholders due to the conutry’s human rights record and allegations that the event represents a form of ‘sportswashing‘.
In May, the Esports World Cup announced it had chosen 30 teams to take part in the Club Support Programme, which will provide six-figure payouts to teams based on meeting certain criteria. In June, the Esports World Cup partnered with the awards body Esports Awards, though the partnership was met with criticism from some.
