Disney+ is expanding its strategic partnership with the Korea Esports Association (KeSPA) to strengthen its fandom-based live content offerings.
Following the exclusive live broadcast of the 2025 LoL KeSPA Cup, Disney+ plans to deepen cooperation by globally live-streaming major events including the 2026 Asia Esports Championship, the 2026 LoL KeSPA Cup, and national team content ahead of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Through this expanded partnership, Disney+ plans to bolster its fandom-based content lineup and live-streaming portfolio, delivering a more diverse entertainment experience.
Disney+ will first globally live-stream the 2026 Asia Esports Championship, a nations competition to be held over three days starting May 24 at Jinju Indoor Gymnasium in Gyeongnam Province. The event began as the 2021 Korea-China-Japan Esports Championship and expanded to the broader Asian region last year. This year, seven countries will participate, led by host nation Korea along with China, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, and Mongolia.
The championship has elevated its stature as an international competition, with the number of game titles increasing to six and "Steppin" selected as an exhibition title. The global live broadcast on Disney+ is expected to expand touchpoints with a broader global esports fan base. Disney's sports brand ESPN will also appear on screen throughout the live broadcasts and event experiences on Disney+, offering esports fans a differentiated sports viewing experience. Disney+ will exclusively live-stream four of the six official titles globally — Street Fighter 6, The King of Fighters XV, Tekken 8, and eFootball Series (PC/Mobile) — and will also serve as an official broadcaster for the remaining two titles, Battlegrounds Mobile and Eternal Return, bringing all matches to global viewers.
The championship is expected to serve as a turning point as the event fully expands across the Asian region, while also providing a stage for national team players to assess their performance and strengthen their competitive readiness ahead of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. In the second half of this year, Disney+ will also exclusively live-stream the national team send-off ceremony and evaluation matches for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
"With the enthusiastic support from viewers both at home and abroad, it is meaningful that we can present a wider variety of dynamic esports matches on Disney+ throughout this year," said Kim So-yeon, President of Disney Korea and Head of the Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) business division in Korea. "We hope this expanded partnership will help more broadly promote the value of Korean esports content and contribute positive energy to the overall esports industry ecosystem."