The Esports World Cup is leaving Riyadh for the first time, landing in Paris with a $75 million prize pool and a broadcast deal that puts competitive gaming on mainstream French television. France Télévisions, the country’s public broadcaster, will air daily highlights starting July 7 through the tournament’s conclusion on August 23.

French regulations now allow licensed cryptocurrency companies to sponsor the event. That intersection of esports, mainstream media, and regulated crypto sponsorship is quietly building a template that could reshape how digital asset firms reach new audiences.

The broadcast deal and what’s behind it

The program, titled “La Minute EWC,” will run daily across all seven weeks of the tournament. European esports promoter N.E.O. (New Esports Org.), co-founded by Bertrand Amar and Matthieu Dallon, brokered the partnership with France Télévisions and will handle production of the segment.

The tournament itself is massive. Over 2,000 players from more than 200 clubs will compete across 25 tournaments spanning 24 different games. The move from Riyadh to Paris was driven partly by a desire for global rotation and partly by France’s deep-rooted gaming culture.

Crypto sponsorships get a regulatory green light

France’s PSAN (Prestataires de Services sur Actifs Numériques) framework, the country’s licensing regime for digital asset service providers, now permits licensed cryptocurrency companies to serve as sponsors at events like the EWC, including jersey placements and digital content campaigns.

On-site activations involving crypto tokens and betting-related merchandise remain restricted under the new rules.

Coinbase and Bitget have already entered the sponsorship arena for the event. Both companies are reportedly facilitating prediction markets linked to match outcomes, particularly for VALORANT tournaments.

Why this matters for digital asset firms

What’s different this time is the regulatory wrapper. France isn’t just allowing crypto sponsors to show up. It’s requiring them to be licensed first.

The France Télévisions broadcast deal itself doesn’t include any direct token launches or crypto integrations. This is pure mainstream media distribution of esports content.

For the esports ecosystem, regulated crypto money flowing in means more stable, compliance-vetted funding sources. Tournament organizers get the financial backing they need, and crypto firms get access to one of the fastest-growing entertainment audiences on the planet.

Investors watching the convergence of crypto and esports should pay attention to whether prediction market volumes around EWC matches generate meaningful activity. The $75 million prize pool ensures the competitive stakes are real across seven weeks of competition.