Seven Network will stream the Esports World Cup 2025 (EWC 2025) live and free on 7plus Sport.
The Esports World Cup will stream on 7plus Sport from Thursday, 10 July, beginning at 9.00pm AEST with matches in Apex Legends and Fatal Fury. Coverage runs until Monday, 25 August, including weekly finals and a recap program titled “EWC Spotlight.”
Held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, EWC 2025 features more than 2,000 players from across the globe competing across 24 titles including Counter Strike, League of Legends, DOTA, MLBB, PUBG and Honor of Kings. The total prize pool is US$70 million, currently the largest in esports history.
It’s not the first time that Seven have played in the Esports space – there had been its short-lived gaming brand screenPLAY in 2018. But, it’s not an area that Seven has a lot of experience in.
So, why do it?
Jordan King, Seven’s National Digital Sales Director, told Mediaweek that it spoke to a desire by Seven to chase new audiences: “We’re always looking at how we engage with new audiences and how we get content that’s relevant to an evolving Australia. We’re an evolving digital company. And so while you have your programming that just works, you know, your AFLs and your Dancing With The Stars and that stuff, your traditional stuff. But, you’ve got to continue that evolution and talking to new audiences. And so we will look at things like this.”
Obviously, Seven are hoping that the World Cup will drive viewership. And, this being television, if it does, expect a whole lot more programming chasing the gamer audience.
“If it performs, it’ll be something that we look at,” King said. “Is there another pathway forwards? It’s an interesting toe in the water and talking to an audience exclusively on 7plus that would otherwise be in different streams – it gives us an opportunity to tell them about content that we have on our VOD catalogue that might be relevant to them as well. It’s a great cross-promotional opportunity.
“The average age of the audience is 26 years old, the NBA is 37 years old. So, you’re looking at a real youth-based audience to come in and have a conversation. And there’s opportunity that goes around it, you know, telling people about the Ashes or programming that we’ve just picked up that might be really relevant.
“We’ll be broadcasting the opening ceremony, which has Post Malone performing. It’s a different conversation and we’re really excited to be going out and having it and being able to give people the opportunity to watch it.
Seven are realistic about the potential audience-size. For the moment, the event will stay under the 7plus Sports banner on the streaming service and not broadcast on the free-to-air channels. “I don’t think we’re sort of going into it being like, okay, we need to attract this many people at this stage,” King advised.
But conversations with media buyers have already been promising.
“The few conversations I’ve had with advertisers has been with buyers who are 25 up to people who are genuine Gen Xers. Everyone’s like, ‘Hey, this is cool’. Obviously we wouldn’t do things just because they’re cool, but from a business strategy, it’s interesting. They’ve told us ‘You’re going about a problem in a different way’. And I think that’s sort of where we need to be. We need to be addressing sort of as many people as we can.
Seven’s esports comeback
This isn’t Seven’s first foray into esports. In 2017, the network launched screenPLAY, an omni-channel platform hosted by gaming personalities Stephanie Bendixsen and Nich Richardson. It combined TV broadcasts on 7mate with digital content, livestreams on Twitch and YouTube, and plans for a dedicated esports league. Despite strong intent, screenPLAY aired its final episode on 1 May 2018 and the platform was eventually wound down.
screenPLAY on Seven
Seven’s return in 2025 reflects how much the esports ecosystem has matured. With a global audience exceeding 500 million, competitive gaming has become a mainstay of digital entertainment, well beyond its niche beginnings.
Local access to global spectacle
The event will also include a live performance from Post Malone during the Opening Ceremony and feature teams from the Asia-Pacific region including Gen G, Talon, and Team Secret.
Mike McCabe, Chief Operating Officer of the Esports World Cup Foundation, said: “Partnering with Seven allows us to bring that energy to life in Australia, giving fans a front-row seat to the world’s biggest esports tournament and welcoming them into a global community that continues to grow every day.”
Streaming is available at 7plus.com.au/sport.