From April 24 to 26, the ‘2026 Asia Esports Tournament’ will be globally broadcast live through Disney+, featuring a national competition with participants from seven countries. Disney+ is expanding its strategic collaboration with the Korea eSports Association, following the successful exclusive live broadcast of the 2025 LoL KeSPA Cup. This collaboration will further support global live broadcasts of major events like the 2026 Asia Esports Tournament, the 2026 LoL KeSPA Cup, and national team content for the 2026 Aichi Nagoya Asian Games.
Through this partnership, Disney+ aims to strengthen its fan-based content lineup and live streaming portfolio, providing a more diverse entertainment experience. They plan to contribute to the global expansion of South Korea’s eSports industry and enhance the value of eSports content by leveraging the platform’s strengths.
Starting on April 24, Disney+ will globally live stream the ‘2026 Asia Esports Tournament,’ a national competition held at the Jinju Indoor Gymnasium in Gyeongnam. Originally launched in 2021 as the Korea-China-Japan Esports Tournament, the event has expanded its scope to Asia, with Korea leading and countries like China, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, and Mongolia participating.
With the number of games increased to six and ‘Steppin” being selected as a demonstration game, the tournament’s international prestige has grown. The live broadcast through global OTT platform Disney+ will expand connections with global eSports fans. Additionally, ESPN, Disney’s sports brand, will be part of the live broadcast and event experience on Disney+, providing a differentiated sports broadcasting experience. Disney+ will exclusively broadcast four events: Street Fighter 6, The King of Fighters XV, Tekken 8, and the eFootball series (PC/mobile). It will also participate as an official broadcaster for Battlegrounds Mobile and Eternal Return, showcasing the entire tournament to a global audience.
Later this year, the 2026 Aichi Nagoya Asian Games National Team launch ceremony and evaluation matches will also be available for exclusive live streaming on Disney+.
Kim So-yeon, Head of Disney Korea and the Direct-to-Consumer division, expressed her enthusiasm, saying, “Thanks to the warm support of viewers at home and abroad, we are delighted to showcase more diverse and vibrant eSports matches on Disney+ this year. We hope that by expanding this collaboration, we can further promote the value of Korean eSports content and contribute positive energy to the overall ecosystem of the eSports industry.”