NEWSRonaldo, Carlsen, Post Malone and the Rise of Celebrity-Driven Esports
June 24 2025, Published 3:35 a.m. ET
What began in basements has gone global. Esports, once considered a niche pastime, is now a multibillion-dollar cultural force — and celebrities are helping drive its explosive rise.
No longer limited to hardcore gamers, competitive gaming has captured the attention of stars from across music, sports, and film. At the forefront of this shift is the Esports World Cup, which returns to Riyadh on July 7 with a record $70 million prize pool and two new global ambassadors: soccer icon Cristiano Ronaldo and world chess champion Magnus Carlsen, who isn’t just endorsing the event — he’s set to compete.
Their participation underscores a dramatic shift in perception. With gaming now reaching audiences in the hundreds of millions, the Esports World Cup has become a proving ground for global relevance, blending digital competition with real-world stardom.
At last year’s tournament, which drew more than 500 million viewers and 2.6 million in-person attendees, that fusion was already on display. Brazilian soccer star Neymar joined the action in Counter-Strike 2, Rocket League, and TEKKEN 8 showmatches. Steve Aoki and Kid Cudi performed together at the closing ceremony. The event was equal parts competition and cultural celebration — and celebrities weren’t just watching; they were playing, performing, and investing.
Post Malone, who headlines this year’s opening ceremony, is a longtime gaming enthusiast and co-owner of professional esports team OpTic Texas.
The relationship between stars and esports has evolved quickly. Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry, actor Will Smith, and Grammy-winner The Weeknd have all invested in professional gaming organizations. Formula 1’s Lando Norris and former soccer star Sergio Agüero launched their own teams.
For many of these figures, esports offers something traditional platforms don’t: direct access to younger, tech-savvy audiences. Livestreams, tournament highlights, and gaming content dominate platforms like YouTube and Twitch, where celebrities now compete for attention alongside — and sometimes against — native creators like MrBeast, Ninja, and KSI who all started as gamers before gaining wider fame.
That future is also being documented. Esports World Cup: Level Up, a new five-part series directed by Emmy winner R.J. Cutler, streaming on Prime Video. The show follows the 2024 Esports World Cup from backstage to the broadcast booth, offering a rare look into the people and personalities driving the sport forward. From emotional upsets to celebrity cameos — including Neymar’s role as a superfan of Brazil’s Team Furia — the series captures the drama behind the spectacle. Esports World Cup: Level Up is streaming exclusively on Prime Video with new episodes released weekly on Fridays and all five episodes available to binge on July 4th.
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This year’s tournament, running seven weeks in Riyadh, aims to raise the bar again. With dozens of games, global teams, and a star-studded slate of performances and appearances, the Esports World Cup is staking its claim as the most ambitious event in gaming — and maybe entertainment — today.
As Ronaldo, Carlsen and Post Malone join the fray, the message is clear: esports is huge and continues to grow.
Esports World Cup 2025 kicks off July 7th and features a new prize pool of $70 million and Cristiano Ronaldo as a global ambassador.
TMX contributed to this story.
