Participant Sponsorship Guidelines

1. Purpose & General Principles

EWCF’s objective is to strike a balance between:

• Enabling Clubs to authentically tell the stories of their brand, players, and partners
• Protecting the commercial interests, assets, and integrity of the Esports World Cup as a global tournament property.

The guiding principle for EWC26 is as follows:

• The product sold to commercial partners by a Club is the Club’s holistic brand, and not the Esports World Cup as a tournament.

These guidelines apply to all Clubs participating in EWC26 and are subject to interpretation and enforcement by EWCF.

2. Area Definitions

2.1 Restricted Areas

Restricted Areas are defined by their function and/or limited access. Unless explicitly approved by EWCF, sponsored content production, sponsorship activities, and sponsor visibility beyond default allowances are not permitted in Restricted Areas. Restricted Areas include, but are not limited to:

• All areas subject to tournament broadcast or official EWC interviews
• Official tournament zones (e.g. Stage, Backstage, Transportation)
• EWC broadcasting and media areas (e.g. Media Day areas, Press Areas, Mixed Zones)
• All EWC-branded areas (e.g. Player Lounges)

As a general rule of thumb, any area that:

• Requires accreditation/badging for access
• Is EWC-branded
• Is broadcasted

shall be considered a Restricted Area.

EWCF reserves the right to further define or expand Restricted Areas if EWC assets become subject to ambush, guerrilla, or hijack marketing.

2.2 Non-Restricted Areas

Non-Restricted Areas are publicly accessible and/or non-branded spaces, including but not limited to:

• Unbranded hotel lobbies
• Practice rooms
• Airports

All filming or activation in Non-Restricted Areas is subject to Clubs obtaining the necessary third-party permissions.

3. Club Commercial Partner Integration Rules

3.1 Default Allowed Integrations in Restricted Areas

In Restricted Areas, only the following integrations of Club commercial partners are permitted by default:

Player Performance Kit

• Jersey
• Trousers
• Jacket / Vest

Player Stage Equipment

• Mouse
• Keyboard
• Mousepad
• Controller

All other player equipment and accessories are restricted from sponsor integration, including but not limited to:

• Arm sleeves
• Drinks
• Hats and caps
• Shoes

3.2 Integrations Requiring EWCF Approval

The following sponsorship integrations are only permitted subject to explicit written approval by EWCF:

• Festival activations (E.G Club booths)
• Club name / title sponsorship

Approval is granted at the sole discretion of EWCF and may be declined without obligation to provide reasoning.

4. Festival Activations (Club Booths)

4.1 Purpose & Scope

This section defines how Clubs may integrate sponsors within approved Club booths at the EWC festival. Club booths are not guaranteed and are available by invitation and approval only. Both partnered and non-partnered Clubs may be considered, subject to:

• Invitation to apply
• Submission of a compliant activation proposal
• Formal approval by EWCF

Approval Requirements

To seek approval, Clubs must submit the following:

• Overall activation concept and booth design
• Close-up visuals of booth walls including sponsor integrations
• Detailed activation descriptions per commercial partner

4.2 Sponsorship Integration Within Club Booths

Sponsors integrated within Club festival booths remain subject to additional eligibility restrictions beyond the general sponsorship guidelines. The following will not be approved for Club booth activations:

• All globally blacklisted sponsorship categories as defined in Section 7
• Sponsors whose proposed activation would conflict with existing long-term EWC commercial partnerships
• Sponsors operating within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where such activation would conflict with EWC’s commercial, legal, or exclusivity framework

EWCF reserves the right to assess sponsor eligibility on a case-by-case basis and to decline approval where a proposed activation presents a commercial, reputational, or contractual risk to the EWC ecosystem.

Core Principles

• Sponsor integration is permitted only as part of a Club-led activation
• The Club must remain the primary identity of the booth at all times
• Sponsor presence must be secondary and fully contained within the booth footprint
• No sponsor activations or materials may extend beyond the booth area (e.g. flyers, giveaways outside the booth)

Eligible Sponsors

Clubs may integrate sponsors only where:

• The sponsor has an existing commercial relationship with the Club of at least six (6) months
• The partnership was not established solely for EWC participation
• The sponsor does not fall within restricted or blacklisted categories

Permitted Sponsor Visibility

Permitted sponsor visibility includes:

• Logos displayed within the booth (walls, screens, counters)
• Activations operated by the Club
• Co-branded visuals where Club branding remains dominant

4.3 Commercial & Revenue Principles

This section outlines the commercial governance applicable to Club booth activations.

No Free Sponsor Exposure

Clubs may not provide sponsor visibility within their booth free of charge. Any sponsor presence must be supported by a legitimate commercial agreement between the Club and the sponsor.

Revenue Participation & Reporting

• EWCF will not participate in or take any share of revenues generated through sponsor activations within Club booths
• Clubs activating sponsors are expected, where reasonably possible, to provide EWCF with high-level revenue information related to booth activations
• Any information shared will be used exclusively for internal data analysis, operational refinement, and future planning

Commercial Governance & Compliance

All commercial terms and sponsor involvement must be agreed and approved prior to activation.

Non-compliance with approved conditions may result in:

• Removal of sponsor elements
• Termination of the activation
• Impact on eligibility for future EWC festival participation

5. Club Name / Title Sponsorship

Clubs participating in EWC26 may carry a name or title sponsor subject to EWCF approval. It must be clearly demonstrated that the sponsorship applies to the Club as an entity and not to the Esports World Cup tournament.

The sponsored Club name must, as a general rule, be deployed consistently across all EWC26 game ecosystems and the Club Championship to ensure naming coherency and product clarity.

By exception, game-specific name sponsorships may be permitted only where the sponsored name represents the Club’s official team name within that specific game ecosystem for the full duration of the competitive season, and is not established solely for EWC participation. Any such exception remains subject to:

• A minimum sponsorship term of twelve (12) months
• Use of the sponsored name consistently across all competitions within that game ecosystem, not limited to EWC
• Compliance with publisher rules and technical limitations
• Explicit written approval by EWCF

Under no circumstances may a Club adopt a name sponsor solely for EWC participation or apply a sponsored name inconsistently across its teams within the Club Championship.

2026 Requirements

Approved name sponsorships for EWC25 must comply with the following:

• Naming format: “[Club Name] [Sponsor]”
  In certain cases, character limits may be applied to official EWC assets to ensure name lengths are suitable for broadcast and leaderboard displays.
  Short forms remain the same (Example: “Team Liquid.Honda” will remain as “TL”)
• If a Club has an existing name sponsor falling under a blacklisted category, the sponsor will be removed from the Club name across all EWC assets
• Alternative namings may be applied during broadcast and stage appearances (e.g. shortened or neutral names)
• Where technically possible, in-game player names must be updated to comply with these regulations
• The Club must be fully branded with inclusion of the sponsor across all platforms (including website and social media), and across all competitive ecosystems outside of EWC
  Exceptions may be granted only where limited by publisher rules and regulations, and only for the affected ecosystem

6. EWCF-Managed IP Usage

Club sponsors, and any non-contracted commercial partners, are not permitted to use EWCF-managed intellectual property unless explicitly authorized in writing by EWCF.

This restriction applies to, but is not limited to:

• Use of EWCF logos, trademarks, event names, or visual assets
• Sponsored or co-branded content created by Clubs that references EWC or its competitions
• Naming or presenting Club-produced content around EWC in a manner that implies sponsor association with the Esports World Cup

Clubs may not produce or publish content related to EWC that is titled, framed, or presented primarily around a sponsor (e.g. “Sponsor X EWC Recap”), unless explicitly approved by EWCF. Where EWCF funding, production support, or official access is provided, any commercial use or sponsor integration within related content is subject to prior written approval and may be restricted or prohibited entirely.

7. Blacklisted Sponsorship Categories

The following sponsorship categories are prohibited at EWC26:

• Betting, gambling, sportsbooks, casinos, prediction markets
• Prescription drugs or non-over-the-counter substances (including CBD products)
• Firearms, ammunition, weapons, and related peripherals
• Pornography or pornographic products
• Tobacco products or related paraphernalia
• Alcohol products, including non-alcoholic products marketed by alcohol-focused brands
• Pyramid schemes, unlicensed trading, fraud, spam, or deceptive data collection
• Counterfeit or illegal virtual item marketplaces, power leveling services
• Political advertising, religious advertising, hate speech
• Any sponsor conflicting with Saudi Arabian laws and regulations

EWCF reserves the right to update, expand, or amend this list at any time.

8. Crypto & Blockchain Sponsorships

Crypto and blockchain-related sponsors may be integrated subject to the following conditions:

• Sponsors must not include betting or gambling elements
• Integration is strictly limited to:
  Jersey print placement
  Name sponsorship where historical precedent exists
  Global digital content
• Local activations, on-site activations, and merchandise integrations at EWC26 are not permitted
• Integrations are only allowed in games where publisher regulations permit such sponsorships

EWCF reserves the right to revoke approval at any time based on regulatory or local authority guidance. Clubs are strongly advised to prepare neutral jerseys without crypto sponsor branding as a contingency.

9. National Flags & Symbols

National flags, national symbols, military symbols, or military brands are not permitted on Club apparel. EWC is a global club-based competition and not a national team tournament.

10. Jersey Compliance

Due to sponsorship restrictions and symbol limitations, Clubs may be required to produce a dedicated EWC26 compliant jersey. Clubs must:

• Use only the approved EWC26 jersey in all Club Program marketing content and official productions
• Use the same jersey across all EWC26 festival & tournament operations
• Clubs must submit their jersey designs to EWCF no later than four (4) weeks prior to participation in the tournament. EWCF may update this timeline at a later stage and will communicate any changes formally, ensuring clubs are provided with adequate notice to accommodate such updates.

Taping over blacklisted sponsors is not permitted. Where compliance cannot be achieved, EWCF will provide neutral black, white, or EWC-branded player kits which must be worn in all Restricted Areas.

11. Sanctions

Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in sanctions including, but not limited to:

• Official warnings
• Prize money deductions
• Disqualification from individual tournaments or the entire Esports World Cup

Sanctions will be applied proportionally based on severity and recurrence. EWCF reserves the right to take legal action in severe cases and IP infringement

12. Disclaimer

Certain regulations may be supplemented or overridden by individual publisher or game ecosystem requirements. In such cases, publisher requirements will take precedence following alignment with EWCF.

These guidelines will be referenced in the tournament participation agreement as part of the legal obligations of all participants; all regulations remain subject to change at EWCF’s discretion