Esports Foundation Opens EWC 2026 Creator Program, $2M Pool

The Esports Foundation has opened applications for its Esports World Cup 2026 Creator Program, offering approved co-streamers access to the official tournament broadcast and a $2 million reward pool covering Esports World Cup (EWC) and ENC events. The EWC tournament is scheduled to begin in July 2026.

Approved creators can take part in tournament-level missions, earn points, progress through a Battle Pass and compete on event-wide and tournament-specific leaderboards. Reward opportunities will be available during specific campaign activations that run alongside the official EWC schedule.

The program supports major streaming platforms including Twitch, YouTube, Bilibili, Huya and TikTok. Participating creators will receive the official broadcast feed to co-stream to their own audiences.

The terms allow platform-native monetization such as platform-served ads, subscriptions, channel points and direct viewer contributions, and state that platform-generated ad revenue belongs to the co-streamer. The program forbids selling merchandise, running third-party brand integrations, promoting personal sponsorships or treating the feed as an independent commercial production. Promotion of gambling or betting services is also prohibited.

Rules set limits on how the broadcast can be presented. Official EWC logos, overlays and sponsor placements must remain visible and unobstructed. Co-streamers may not crop or reframe the feed to remove sponsor placements, and personal overlays may not cover official sponsor branding, score displays, minimaps or other required elements.

Creators approved for the program will be added to an official whitelist that provides limited protection from DMCA claims for music included in the official EWC broadcast. That protection does not cover music added by creators or content produced outside the official feed.

The Esports Foundation requires co-streamers to grant a perpetual, royalty-free license for the organization to use their likeness, voice and excerpts of their broadcast for marketing and promotional activity connected to the Esports World Cup. The announcement outlines enforcement measures: violations can result in formal warnings, removal from the current program, permanent bans from future EWC events or legal action depending on severity.

The announcement did not detail the full breakdown of the $2 million reward pool, country eligibility lists or complete platform-specific requirements. The Creator Program will run in step with the EWC schedule and provide reward opportunities during campaign activations.

Last year’s Esports World Cup opening featured a high-profile musical headliner. The 2026 tournament is expected to include similar entertainment components while offering creators a structured way to co-stream official coverage and compete for rewards.