IOC and Saudi Arabia Scrap Olympic Esports Partnership Over $55 Billion Gamble
The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) foray into esports has taken a hit as they announced that their partnership with the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC) is over. The two sides had signed a 12-year agreement in 2024, but it seems that their differing ambitions have led to a mutually agreed split.
The break-up comes just weeks after Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund acquired Electronic Arts for $55 billion. This massive deal marked the beginning of a new era for esports in Saudi Arabia, with the country's Esports World Cup already showcasing popular titles like MOBAs, shooters, and fighting games.
Initially, the IOC had high hopes for their partnership, discussing plans to hold the Olympic Esports Games every two years and exploring potential hosts in South Korea and the US. However, it appears that the Saudi side was more focused on expanding its own esports ambitions, leading to a clear divergence in goals.
Now, the IOC is committed to pursuing separate paths and spreading opportunities for young gamers through their Olympic Esports Games. Despite this, critics may see the move as an attempt to salvage the organization's image while still benefiting from the lucrative world of esports.
The question remains whether the IOC can strike the right balance between connecting with younger fans and respecting "Olympic values." As one might expect, games do not lead to violence, but the fine line between promoting sportsmanship and eschewing controversy will be a challenging one to navigate.
The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) foray into esports has taken a hit as they announced that their partnership with the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC) is over. The two sides had signed a 12-year agreement in 2024, but it seems that their differing ambitions have led to a mutually agreed split.
The break-up comes just weeks after Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund acquired Electronic Arts for $55 billion. This massive deal marked the beginning of a new era for esports in Saudi Arabia, with the country's Esports World Cup already showcasing popular titles like MOBAs, shooters, and fighting games.
Initially, the IOC had high hopes for their partnership, discussing plans to hold the Olympic Esports Games every two years and exploring potential hosts in South Korea and the US. However, it appears that the Saudi side was more focused on expanding its own esports ambitions, leading to a clear divergence in goals.
Now, the IOC is committed to pursuing separate paths and spreading opportunities for young gamers through their Olympic Esports Games. Despite this, critics may see the move as an attempt to salvage the organization's image while still benefiting from the lucrative world of esports.
The question remains whether the IOC can strike the right balance between connecting with younger fans and respecting "Olympic values." As one might expect, games do not lead to violence, but the fine line between promoting sportsmanship and eschewing controversy will be a challenging one to navigate.
oh man i just got back from watching a gaming tournament with my friends and it was so much fun i dont really get why they cancelled the olympic esports thing though im pretty sure they werent gonna let anyone go hungry or anything 
but seriously i love how excited people are about this stuff and i wish more sports events had tournaments like that too maybe one day we can have an olympics for gaming and it would be so cool 
I mean, esports has the potential to bring so many people together and promote healthy competition. The IOC was trying to make it a part of the Olympics, which is all about coming together as a community. But now it's like they're just going back to their old ways? 
Can't we all just get along and find ways to promote positivity in the gaming community? 
what's next, are they gonna sell the Olympics too? 
anyway, I guess it's all good, IOC can focus on being the cool older cousin of the sports world and let the youngbloods (Saudi Arabia) have their esports party 
now if only we could get a Fortnite tournament at the Olympics... that'd be a real "medal" moment 
I mean who wouldn't wanna invest that kinda cash into esports 
how many other sponsors are gonna bail 'cause of this? 
still, on the bright side, the IOC gets to keep goin with its Olympic Esports Games 
maybe it can learn from SA's model & make some changes 
what's next for the olympic esports games? will we see more crazy deals like this or are they gonna stick to what they know?
i mean who tries to start an esports program and then can't even make it work with saudi arabia? and now they're just gonna sit back and let gamers run wild, hoping that'll save their image? 
and what's with the olympic values thing? like, we all know games aren't going to turn into a bunch of sweaty gamers wrestling on the podium 
! i feel bad for the IOC tho 
... like, 55 billion dollars is a lot of $$$ 
. now they're trying to make the Olympic Esports Games more about sportsmanship and less about controversy 
this is just another example of how big money can ruin everything. I mean, $55 billion for EA? That's insane 
. Like, what even were they thinking? 
. It's just another case of big organizations trying to cash in on a trendy thing before moving on when the trend goes away 
i cant believe this is happening!!!!!! 
now its all over????? 
its just a game, right? 
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