Crunchyroll heads to the Esports World Cup with activation partnership

Anime streaming platform Crunchyroll has officially announced a partnership with the Esports World Cup (EWC).

The announcement, which came from Crunchyroll, will see the entertainment company set up booth activations and giveaways during the eight-week gaming festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The experiences include a layered photo-op experience of the upcoming anime Gachiakuta and a game based around Shōnen anime Kaiju No. 8.

Additionally, fans will be able to win exclusive prizes through evening trivia sessions and giveaways featuring items such as Crunchyroll tote bags, Gachiakuta postcards, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba string bags, a Kaiju No. 8 collector card, and a One Piece sticker sheet.

This is not the first time Crunchyroll has partnered with a tournament organiser and has had a long-standing relationship with esports stakeholders. Back in 2023, the anime streaming service teamed up with EVO to curate customised experiences for attendees.

Among esports teams, Team Liquid was one of the first to strike a partnership with the company back in 2016. Meanwhile, North American organisation TSM collaborated with Crunchyroll to release a limited My Hero Academia merchandise collection at the end of 2022.

With the EWC kicking off in a few weeks’ time, the Esports World Cup Foundation has announced several major moves to ‘bring together gaming, music and culture’. Aside from the partnership with the streaming service, the EWC announced global artists such as Post Malone and DJ Alesso, who also remixed the lead track “Ascension” from the original music suite created for the competition.

Additionally, football icon Cristiano Ronaldo was announced as a Global Ambassador of the Esports World Cup earlier this month, as he will lead the tournament’s global campaign.

That being said, the EWC continues to be met with concerns and skepticism due to the backing of the Saudi Arabian government through the Public Investment Fund (PIF), as discussions surrounding Saudi Arabia’s human rights record remain. In May, geography-based guessing game GeoGuessr was withdrawn following fan backlash and Apex Legends player Hambino refused to take part in the event after qualifying.