Movistar KOI announce esports expansion plans into China

OverActive Media has announced plans to expand into China with its Spanish esports organisation Movistar KOI this year.

The team aims to tap into the Chinese esports market, ensuring direct, localised fan engagement by using dedicated streaming and social media channels.

In particular, Movistar KOI will be present on social media Weibo, which is similar to Facebook in the Eastern world, and video platform BiliBili to foster esports-related content.

The decision comes as OverActive Media, Movistar KOI’s parent company, is looking to grow in high-potential esports markets. Having already established operations in Europe and North America, this marks the company’s second major expansion in 2025, following its recent entry into Latin America.

The strategic decision also aligns with the current 2025 esports calendar, headlined by the League of Legends 2025 World Championship taking place in China later this year. The localised content can open up more opportunities for the team and further establish its presence in one of the biggest esports markets in the world, which has an estimated size of 490m esports users, according to a report by the Electronic Sports Committee of China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association (ESC).

In 2024, the Chinese esports industry generated 27.568bn RMB (~£2.97 bn) in revenues, 80% of which came from live streaming esports content.

“Expanding into China is an important step for OverActive Media and part of our strategy to grow in the biggest esports market in the world,” commented Adam Adamou, CEO of OverActive Media.

“China has a large, passionate fan base, and this gives us a strong opportunity to introduce Movistar KOI to a new audience. We’re looking forward to building real connections and growing our presence in the region.”

Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, OverActive Media is the owner of several franchise teams alongside Movistar KOI. Aside from competing in League of Legends and VALORANT, the company owns Toronto Ultra from the Call of Duty League.

Over the years, the company has developed a strong portfolio of partners, which includes Spanish telecommunication company Movistar, car brand CUPRA, sportswear manufacturer Kappa, and gaming peripherals company Razer, among others.