IOC and Saudi Arabia agree on 12-year deal for video gaming Esports Olympics

LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- Saudi Arabia and the IOC are teaming up for their first commercial deal together with the oil-rich kingdom set to host the first Esports Olympics next year.

The gaming partnership will be for 12 years “with Olympic Esports Games held regularly,” the International Olympic Committee said in a statement Friday.

The announcement was made during the two-month Esports World Cup being staged in Riyadh.

The IOC said last month it planned to launch video gaming Olympics to try to attract and retain young fans and audiences.

The Saudi deal must be approved by the IOC membership which meets July 23-24 in Paris on the eve of the Summer Games.

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