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≡ OLYMPIC ESPORTS GAMES ≡
What could be one of the most important and long-lasting innovations of the Thomas Bach Presidency at the International Olympic Committee is the Olympic Esports Games, developed under his leadership, but which will happen after his tenure is over.
Originally agreed at the 142nd IOC Session in 2024 in Paris, the IOC entered into a 12-year partnership with the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC), with the expectation that the first Olympic Esports Games would be in 2025.
That’s not going to happen, as the IOC and the SOPC said Tuesday that the first Olympic Esports Games will be in 2027 – non-Olympic Games year – in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh.
One of the issues standing in the way of putting together the event is the difference between Olympic sports, governed by long-standing International Federations, and electronic sports, based on games developed by commercial publishers.
Which games are to be used? Under what licensing conditions? Who picks the players?
The IOC and the SOPC announced Tuesday that the Esports World Cup Foundation will become a “Founding Partner” of the Olympic Esports Games, to help bring the right solutions:
“[T]he EWCF brings its expertise in game selection, tournament structures and ecosystem engagement to drive innovation in the development of the Olympic Esports Games. The IOC and EWCF will collaborate closely with key stakeholders to establish qualification pathways, enhance competitive integrity, and align the national esports ecosystems with broader global standards.
“The EWCF is a non-profit organisation committed to fostering the growth and development of esports and gaming worldwide. As the driving force behind the Esports World Cup, the EWCF works to elevate the industry by shaping competitive structures, strengthening the esports ecosystem, and ensuring the integrity, sustainability and growth of esports.”
The next step is the actual development of what the Olympic Esports Games will look like, with a select committee already in place and now ready to go:
“A joint committee of the IOC and the SOPC has been set up to steer the Games. It is chaired by IOC Member Ser Miang Ng and co-chaired by HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal. The committee consists of six people, three from each partner, and is currently working to define the games that will be part of the first edition of the Olympic Esports Games.”
Observed: Despite its enormous success with the Olympic and Olympic Winter Games and revenues announced at $7.6 billion for the most recent quadrennial, the IOC suffers from not having a year-round, annual program of events.
It has put considerable effort – and is putting more – to raise the profile of the Olympic qualifying competitions in many sports, but this has not yet generated much enthusiasm among the viewing public. The Olympic Esports Games could be different.
Appealing to a different sector than the largely television-driven audience for the Olympic Games, the e-sports phenomenon could be a new bonanza for the IOC and the Olympic Movement, creating even more interest among youth, including those who are not gifted in the Olympic sports.
And that money can be further used to develop education and training programs for athletes, coaches and officials to bring more sport to the masses … even potentially e-sports, with cross-promotion to physical activity.
The IOC, despite its revenues, does not have enough money to do everything it would like. The next IOC President, in fact, may have to face a downturn in people actually watching the Olympic and Winter Games as they happen, as so many younger viewers prefer just highlights to long-form viewing.
The Olympic Esports Games and the inevitable continental spin-offs may be an antidote.
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