On Thursday, Amazon UNIVERSITY Esports and streaming platform Shahid announced a new collaboration that aims to merge the worlds of esports and broadcast TV. The partnership seeks to provide a more immersive experience for young users of both platforms. Mario Perez, CEO of MENATech, which hosts the AUE project in the region, expressed his belief that the new partnership has the potential to benefit both the esports and streaming industries. He noted how the MENA region's young population and increasingly virtualized environment are driving the quick growth of esports and streaming platforms.
Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer at Shahid Natasha Matos-Hemingway emphasized how the partnership fits with the Kingdom's National Gaming and Esports Strategy, which seeks to make Saudi Arabia a major worldwide centre for gaming and esports by 2030. She emphasized that the strategy reflects the government's commitment to supporting the sector and that partnerships like this can help contribute to its ambitious goals.
Amazon UNIVERSITY Esports is a global collegiate league that operates in 16 countries across Europe, Latin and North America, and the Middle East for university students. It was created by Amazon, GGTech, and NUEL. According to the organization, since its establishment in Saudi Arabia, there has been a significant increase in the number of teams and players, institutions taking part, and tournaments and events being held, making it one of the key participants in the region's esports industry.
With a population of approximately 40 million, more than half of whom are under 25, Saudi Arabia has seen an increase in gaming income. Saudi Arabia's gaming sector has experienced rapid growth due to the many esports competitions hosted in the country. Along with the UAE, the Middle East and North Africa region's esports revenue is expected to surpass $5 billion by 2025. The partnership between Amazon UNIVERSITY Esports and Shahid is expected to contribute to the growth of the esports industry in the GCC and MENA region.
