Visa inks multi-year global sponsorship with Evo

Visa has signed a multi-year global sponsorship agreement with the Evolution Championship Series (Evo) that runs through early 2028. The sponsorship debuts at Evo Las Vegas 2026, scheduled for June 26–28 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, where organizers will offer a minimum $500,000 prize pool across 12 competitive titles. The agreement covers Evo Las Vegas and key international stops including Evo Japan, Evo France and Evo Singapore.

Visa’s presence at the Las Vegas event will include a branded exhibition match called the ‘Friday Night Showdown’ in Street Fighter 6 between content creators Tyler ‘Tyler1’ Steinkamp and Ludwig Ahgren. The sponsorship will also fund hourly open-bracket ‘Evo Flash Tournaments’ for onsite attendees and provides a 10 percent merchandise discount for purchases made with a Visa card.

Stuart Saw, CEO of RTS, which owns and operates Evo, called the partnership ‘incredibly exciting’ and described it as one that ‘feels natural and offers real value to our competitors and fans globally.’ Frank Cooper III, Visa’s chief marketing officer, described gaming as ‘one of the most powerful ways people connect, compete and build community,’ and added the partnership ‘puts Visa at the center of that experience.’

The agreement follows RTS’s acquisition of the remaining Evo shares from NODWIN Gaming, ending indirect ties to Sony Group and placing Evo fully under RTS, the Qiddiya City-backed company supported by the Saudi Public Investment Fund. RTS has announced plans to expand Evo’s international calendar in 2027 with new events in Brazil, Morocco, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and China.

Evo has previously worked with mainstream brands including Chipotle, Zenni and PlayStation, and automotive company Suzuki signed on as a global circuit sponsor for 2026. Visa’s recent esports and gaming partnerships include serving as Official Payment Partner for the Mobile Legends M7 Championship, a regional alliance with TALON Esports in the Asia-Pacific region, and an extended deal with Latin American team Isurus through 2026.

The sponsorship runs through early 2028 and will be active across Evo’s US flagship event and selected international tournaments, integrating Visa into live competitions, onsite tournaments and consumer promotions tied to the fighting game community.