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Esports World Cup gets major deal with Chinese state broadcaster

fragster Paolo 22. July 2024

The Esports World Cup, which is currently taking place in Saudi Arabia, has gained a major television partnership with Chinese state-controlled media network, China Central Television or CCTV.

A report from Esports Insider has announced a new partnership with Chinese CCTV’s channel CCTV+, which will reportedly allow EWC matches to be broadcast on CCTV+ channels throughout China.

 

Expanded reach for esports in Chinese television and beyond

CCTV+, a video news agency owned by China Central Television (CCTV), focuses on on-demand video content and news broadcasts in over 70 countries, based on information reported by Esports Insider. 

“CCTV Video News Agency (CCTV+) is China’s leading video news agency and started operation in December 2010. It offers news products and services in line with international standards to global media organizations via its own online Global Distribution System (www.cctvplus.com) and cooperation with world-leading distributors of professional news content,” said CCTV+’s description in its website.

The agency claims to have partnerships with over 1,800 TV channels and 1,000 digital media platforms in more than 130 countries and regions. 

The partnership was reportedly made possible thanks to the recent agreement between the EWC’s organizers, the Esports World Cup Foundation, tournament organizer VSPO, and the China Media Group, which owns both CCTV+ and the main CCTV organization.

Esports Insider added that the broadcasts will reportedly use “5G, 4K/8K, and AI technology to deliver high-quality broadcasts of EWC matches.”

CCTV+ is also providing services such as live video streaming, video on demand, and archival footage. This is akin to similar news wire services in the West, such as Agence France-Presse (AFP), Reuters, and the Associated Press. It is also a member of the Belt and Road News Network or BRNN, an organization of news outlets which promote the controversial Belt and Road Initiative.

CCTV, meanwhile, has had a reputation for promoting falsehoods, false confessions, and disinformation, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine. CCTV is one of several major assets directly controlled by the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Propaganda Department, the agency responsible for implementing media censorship in the People’s Republic of China.

On the other hand, China’s esports market has been seen by many observers and commentators as lucrative, with major esports events being held in the country, as well as the country’s growing esports fanbase, particularly in key titles such as Dota 2, VALORANT, and the widely popular Honor of Kings MOBA game.

 

Other EWC broadcasts

The sizable Chinese television audience is just the latest in a bold move by the EWC to broadcast the ongoing event to a more traditional broadcast audience, following its recent milestones of broadcasts on the online sphere.

The League of Legends final drew over 1.11 million peak online views, according to data from global esports statistics provider Esports Charts. The recently-concluded Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Mid-Season Cup, meanwhile, drew double this figure, at over 2.38 million peak online viewers.

Just recently, India’s Star Sports First and Star Sports 2 channels have also acquired the rights to broadcast the Esports World Cup, aside from hosting the multi-esport event on its digital platforms.

Saudi Arabia’s STC TV has also established its World Cup Studios near the venues itself in Riyadh and has provided broadcasts in Arabic, English, and over 40+ languages.

CCTV+ has yet to fully disclose how it intends to carry live EWC programming across terrestrial television in China.