New Global Sport Conference 2025: Speakers Revealed

The Esports World Cup Foundation has announced the speaker lineup and thematic focus for the 2025 New Global Sport Conference, a business-to-business event scheduled for August 23–24, 2025, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Centered on the theme "The Next Game – Building the Future of Gaming, Esports, and Sports," the conference aims to convene global leaders to discuss the intersection of competitive gaming, traditional sports, and entertainment.

The event features a diverse roster of high-profile executives and industry figures, including representatives from major corporations such as Sony, Disney, Activision, Sega, Bandai Namco, and CBS Sports. Additional participants include leadership from investment and venture capital firms like BITKRAFT Ventures and NVO Capital, as well as prominent figures from the Saudi Esports Federation and the LA28 Olympic organizing committee. The conference is facilitated by the Esports World Cup Foundation, which operates via funding from the Saudi Arabian government’s Public Investment Fund.

While the conference serves as a platform for industry networking and strategic discourse, it remains a subject of scrutiny. International human rights organizations have frequently criticized Saudi-backed initiatives of this nature, characterizing them as efforts to utilize sports and entertainment to improve the nation's global image, a practice commonly referred to as "sportswashing." Despite these external criticisms, the event continues to attract significant participation from major international gaming and media entities.