- Signed at the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, this is a world-first collaboration between a luxury tourism developer and a leading esports organization.
Riyadh, 17 July 2025: Red Sea Global (RSG), the developer behind regenerative tourism destinations The Red Sea and AMAALA, today announced a landmark three-year sponsorship of T1 Entertainment & Sports (T1), a leading global esports organization. Signed at the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, the sponsorship deal represents the first time a tourism developer has partnered with a global esports brand on this scale. The partnership is brokered by CAA Sports, T1’s exclusive commercial agent.
T1 is a South Korean team renowned for its dominance of esports. It has won a series of prestigious gaming crowns, including the inaugural League of Legends title at the 2024 Esports World Cup in Riyadh and boasts an elite squad led by the iconic player and five-time League of Legends World Champion, Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok. The team also competes in popular games such as VALORANT, Tekken 8, EAFC Online and Overwatch 2, with an enviable track record.
It is estimated that the audience for esports globally will reach 640.8 million fans this year. That includes 318.1 million dedicated fans and 322.7 million occasional viewers. RSG’s logo will be featured on the front of T1’s official team uniform and will become the presenting sponsor for T1’s YouTube content, which boats 1.56M subscribers, for major competitions and international tournaments. The agreement supports the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s growing role as a global hub for sports, entertainment, and innovation.
Josh Ahn, COO, T1 Entertainment & Sports, said: “Just as we at T1 strive for mastery in competitive gaming, RSG is setting new global standards in luxury hospitality and regenerative tourism. We will seek to bring to life a shared ethos of excellence, precision, and performance. Together, we look forward to creating unique experiences that will resonate with our global fanbase.”
The Red Sea destination welcomed its first guests in 2023. It now has five resorts open, as well as the Red Sea International Airport (RSI), which is situated within three hours' flying time of 250 million people and eight hours' flying time for 85% of the world’s population. Another 11 hotels will launch over the coming months.
AMAALA is set to welcome its first guests later this year with the ambitious goal of becoming the world’s most comprehensive health and wellness destination. Launching with 1,470 hotel keys across eight luxury resorts, it will welcome some of the most renowned wellness operators globally, offering a wide array of programs tailored to diverse lifestyles and well-being needs.
A third destination, Thuwal Private Retreat, opened in 2024.
