The Saudi Telecom Company (stc Group) has been announced as a partner for the Esports World Cup taking place in Riyadh this summer.
As part of the deal, stc group will aim to bolster connectivity across all of the Esports World Cup venues.
The partnership was announced by the Esports World Cup Foundation at an official signing ceremony attended by Faisal Alsaber, stc Group Chief Commercial Officer, and Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation.
The company has been named an ‘Elite and Founding Partner’ for the Esports World Cup and will be in charge of running the connectivity across the entire event. In addition, the company’s streaming service, stc tv, will broadcast all Esports World Cup tournaments on its platform.
Alongside this partnership, stc Group is also a naming partner for three of the key venues for the Esports World Cup — stc Arena, stc Play Gaming Hall and stc TV World Cup Studios. The stc Arena and stc TV World Cup Studios will host matches for the various tournaments at the event whilst the stc Play Gaming Hall will feature fan-focused community tournaments and activations.
This is not the first time that stc Group has stepped into the world of esports. Last year stc Group sponsored the Saudi Esports Federation, providing technical support for events run by the Federation. This included the Esports World Cups’ predecessor Gamers8.
Ahead of the inaugural event, the Esports World Cup has announced many commercial partners including Adidas and KitKat. Moreover, over 21 different titles will have events at the Esports World Cup.
The Esports World Cup Foundation, the organisers of the Esports World Cup, is backed by the Saudi Arabian government. As such, the multi-title event has faced criticism from teams and the community over Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.
Ralf Reichert, CEO of Esports World Cup Foundation, stated: “I’m proud to welcome stc Group, a telecommunications giant and digital pioneer, as an Elite and Founding Partner of the Esports World Cup.
“stc Group is the digital backbone of our competitions and will bring the EWC content to local and global audiences. Through their festival activation, stc will enable fans visiting the EWC to stay connected with the special stc SIM Card. As one of the largest companies in the MENA region, their support means we’re not only going to offer exceptional digital access for fans and athletes but can take the Esports World Cup to the next level.”
