BERLIN (Reuters) – The first Olympic Esports Games will be held in two years in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the International Olympic Committee said on Tuesday, as part of a 12-year-deal with the country signed last year.
The IOC has been looking into Esports for several years, forming a dedicated commission to find opportunities to tap into a younger generation involved with gaming.
With its traditional audience base gradually ageing, the governing body is trying to connect with a younger generation of potential Olympics fans.
In 2021, it developed the Olympic virtual series, a pilot venture in Esports before signing the deal with Saudi Arabia last year for hosting the Olympic Esports Games.
“There is now a very clear roadmap to the historic first-ever Olympic Esports Games,” IOC President Thomas Bach said in a statement.
“With the road to the Olympic Esports Games starting this year, the Games are becoming a reality.”
A six-member committee has been set up to define which games will be part of the first edition of the Esports Olympics.
Saudi Arabia has invested billions of dollars in sports events, including soccer, Formula One, boxing and golf, with critics accusing the country of engaging in “sportswashing” over its human rights record.
The kingdom, which will host the 2034 soccer World Cup, has denied accusations of human rights abuses.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Ed Osmond)
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