The Esports Foundation (EF) has announced an expanded multi-division partnership with Sony Group Corporation for the upcoming Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 in Paris, France.

Building on an initial founding partnership established during the inaugural 2025 event, the renewed collaboration integrates various entertainment and technology branches of the conglomerate, including Sony Interactive Entertainment, Crunchyroll, and Sony Pictures Television, across the seven-week competitive festival. Under the terms of the agreement, PlayStation consoles will serve as the designated hardware platform for applicable tournament competitions and on-site public community zones.

The media activation strategy also includes the return of Esports World Cup: Level Up, a behind-the-scenes documentary series tracking competing teams and players, produced by Sony Pictures Television’s production outfit “This Machine” and directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker R.J. Cutler, distributed globally via Prime Video.

Concurrently, an interactive, motion-responsive manga library installation developed in collaboration with Crunchyroll will be featured at the live venue to showcase popular Japanese intellectual properties.

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Mohammed Al Nimer, Chief Commercial Officer of the Esports Foundation, stated that the integration aligns with contemporary consumer habits, noting that “fans today don’t separate gaming, anime, film, and entertainment. They move between them every day.”

The activation model seeks to capitalise on cross-media engagement following the festival’s initial 2025 iterations in Riyadh, where, according to EF, localised brand integrations generated over 168 million impressions and 116 million video views across global channels.

The multi-brand promotional push comes as the Esports World Cup executes its first international relocation, moving from Saudi Arabia to Paris, France, for its 2026 edition due to regional conflicts in the Middle East. Scheduled to run from July 6 through August 23, 2026, the cross-game competitive festival is projected to bring together more than 2,000 professional players representing 200 esports clubs globally. The participants will contest 25 distinct tournaments across a 24-game lineup for a collective prize pool valuation exceeding $75 million.

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