Paris is just 24 hours away from hosting the biggest esports event that France has ever seen – and the Esports Foundation is still busy stacking its partner roster. Today, on July 7, the organization announced three new deals in a press release. Saudi entertainment megaproject Qiddiya City will be returning as a Founding Partner, while Paris je t'aime, the city's official tourism board, has joined the party as host-city partner. Rounding things off (for now) is French production company OTP, which joins as the tournament's official broadcaster.
The Esports World Cup 2026 kicks-off with a bang tomorrow at La Seine Musicale. DJ Snake, Aya Nakamura will headline the opening ceremony next to rising French artist Theodora, with the competition running until August 9 across VIPARIS venues. As has been stated before, it’s the first time the Esports World Cup will take place outside Riyadh.
Greatness Recognizes Greatness | EWC26 Paris
— o x o. ꕤ｡ﾟ (@lune_oxo) July 2, 2026
(Faker cut#Faker
©Esports World Cup pic.twitter.com/1iZhnp3YTG
What each partnership actually means
The Paris je t'aime deal brings one of the world's most recognizable city tourism brands into esports for the first time in a formal host-city capacity. For fans attending in person, the anchor venue is Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, where the EWC Festival will run for the full seven weeks alongside competitive play. The festival floor features cosplay, club houses, live game demos and creator meet-and-greets.
Qiddiya City's return is equally significant in terms of what it signals about EWC's long-term home. The Saudi giga-project, located near Riyadh and covering more than 500,000 square meters, will retain naming rights to the Qiddiya City Grid stage, a venue seating over 1,000 spectators that will host Fortnite, Fire, Apex Legends, Warzone, PUBG: Battlegrounds, and PUBG MOBILE competitions.
Mohammad Al Nimer, Chief Commercial Officer of the Esports Foundation, put it in plain terms when he said: "Saudi Arabia is the home of the Esports World Cup and has established the event as a global platform for esports and gaming culture. As we bring EWC to Paris for its first international edition, Qiddiya City's presence offers fans a glimpse of the competition's long-term future."
OTP steps up for French-language coverage
OTP (One Trick Production), the leading French-language League of Legends broadcast outlet, was co-founded by casters Chips and Noi and will cover the tournament live and on-site across its own channels from July 8 through August 9. Full coverage details will be shared tomorrow during a livestream.
OTP's confirmed title slate includes League of Legends,VALORANT, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. The company generated €2.2 million in revenue over the 14 months following its December 2020 launch, a figure that underscores its standing as a legitimate production house rather than a hobbyist operation.
OTP won't be the only broaddcaster covering EWC for French audiences, with the Esports Foundation partnering with France Télévisions, the national public broadcaster, set to deliver a daily EWC program on national TV, with that deal facilitated by N.E.O. (NEO NEW ESPORTS ORG.). This promises to open esports up to a whole new audience in France, including those who so far have only shown a passing interest in esports, as well as those who don’t watch Twitch.
Paris hasn't forgotten its esports history
The excitement building around EWC 2026 has a whiff of nostalgia about it for long-term fans, with industry veteran Michael O’Dell keen to remind everyone how long he’s been watching the World Cup:
16 Years ago at the Esports World Cup in Paris 🙂 pic.twitter.com/TUpLSCt63Z
— Michael O'Dell (@ODEEisOG) July 2, 2026
The esports veterans post is a nod to the city's place in competitive gaming history, with Paris one of the sport's earliest major venues. Teams are already starting to help cement the city’s place in esports legend, with ZEDI Esports counting down their Apex campaign opener on social media under the tag #RoadToParis.
Writer's take
Three partnerships announced the day before opening ceremonies suggests the Foundation timed these reveals for maximum visibility rather than scrambling to fill holes. The OTP and France Télévisions media stack in particular looks like a deliberate play to mainstream EWC in France, the kind of local-market embedding that Saudi editions haven't needed. Whether the same approach travels back to Riyadh will be worth watching.
What's next
The opening ceremony kicks off at La Seine Musicale on July 8, with OTP going live across its channels simultaneously. The competition ends on August 9. More details on OTP's full broadcast schedule are expected during tomorrow's livestream.
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