Sponsorships continue to be one of the biggest revenue drivers in esports, and the Esports Foundation‘s latest figures show just how significant brand partnerships have become for major tournament organisers.

During an interview with Sport Business Club, Mohammad Al Nimer, the Chief Commercial Officer of Esports Foundation, revealed that the company generated more than $120 million (€106 million) in sponsorship revenue in 2025.

Al Nimer said the foundation offers different partnership categories. Global Partners receive worldwide visibility across all of the foundation’s assets, while regional partners focus on specific markets such as China or the Middle East. He said becoming a Global Partner requires an investment of several million euros.

For the French market, investment levels are lower because there is less time before the event, with deals typically worth hundreds of thousands of euros. The executive also said that many French brands and sponsorship agencies have already expressed interest in working with the foundation.

Global Esports Industry Week (GEIW) will return in 2026 with a bigger and bolder edition, taking place across 18–21 June in Cologne, Germany, alongside IEM Cologne. The schedule and details about ticket sales are available in this link.

When it comes to funding, Al Nimer revealed that the Esports World Cup 2026 will be funded through a combination of government support and commercial revenues. He specifically made it clear that the French government will not provide financial support for the event but is helping through an interministerial task force focused on visas, marketing, and venue access.

He added that the event is fully self-financed by the foundation. According to Al Nimer, the foundation’s financing model is based on two main sources. The first is government support from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, although not through the Public Investment Fund (PIF). The second is commercial revenue generated through sponsorships, media rights, ticket sales, and merchandise.

The French government, in fact, also recently revealed the exact amount the Esports Foundation is investing to host the Esports World Cup 2026. During the 2026 Choose France summit, French authorities announced that the Esports Foundation is pouring a whopping €250 million (approx. $290 million) to organise the 2026 edition of the Esports World Cup (EWC) in Paris.

The government expects the event to generate around €600 million (approx. $700 million) in indirect economic impact for France and Paris through tourism, hospitality, local spending, job creation, and related business activity.

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