IOC, Saudi Arabia Agree on 12-year Deal for Video Gaming Esports Olympics

A general view of Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia, February 20, 2022. REUTERS/Mohammed Benmansour
A general view of Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia, February 20, 2022. REUTERS/Mohammed Benmansour
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IOC, Saudi Arabia Agree on 12-year Deal for Video Gaming Esports Olympics

A general view of Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia, February 20, 2022. REUTERS/Mohammed Benmansour
A general view of Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia, February 20, 2022. REUTERS/Mohammed Benmansour

Saudi Arabia and the IOC are teaming up for their first commercial deal together with the kingdom set to host the Esports Olympics that launch 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 AP reported.

Saudi sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal said the country “has become a global hub for professional esports.”

"This is a natural next step for our young athletes, our country and the global esports community,” said Prince Abdulaziz, who also heads the Saudi national Olympic committee.

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



Real Madrid Halts Concerts at its Stadium after Neighbors Complain About Noise

FILE - Fans of US singer Taylor Swift queue to enter her concert, outside Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, May 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)
FILE - Fans of US singer Taylor Swift queue to enter her concert, outside Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, May 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)
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Real Madrid Halts Concerts at its Stadium after Neighbors Complain About Noise

FILE - Fans of US singer Taylor Swift queue to enter her concert, outside Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, May 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)
FILE - Fans of US singer Taylor Swift queue to enter her concert, outside Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, May 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)

Real Madrid will temporarily stop holding concerts at its renovated Santiago Bernabeu Stadium after neighbors complained about the loud noise, the Spanish club said late Friday.

Real Madrid said that three concerts by Spanish pop artists will be pushed back from November to December, while the South Korean music show Music Bank scheduled for Oct. 12 has been cancelled, The Associated Press reported.

The decision came after several local media reports of residents who live near the stadium complaining about the noise that reached their homes during concerts.

The club said in a statement that “this decision forms part of a group of measures taken by the club to ensure that the municipal regulations are strictly complied with during concerts.”