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Disney+ Expands KeSPA Partnership to Stream More Esports Events in 2026
Disney+ has announced an expanded partnership with the Korea e-Sports Association (KeSPA) to livestream a wider slate of Korean and pan-Asian esports competitions globally throughout 2026, building on an initial deal signed in September 2025.
Kicking Off With Esports Championships Asia Jinju 2026
The expanded partnership begins with the Esports Championships Asia Jinju 2026, scheduled for April 24–26 at the Jinju Indoor Gymnasium in South Gyeongsang, South Korea.
The three-day tournament will feature national teams from seven countries—South Korea, China, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, and Mongolia—competing across a diverse lineup of titles including Street Fighter 6, The King of Fighters XV, Tekken 8, eFootball, PUBG: Battlegrounds, and Eternal Return. Disney+ will carry the event live worldwide under ESPN branding.
The Jinju tournament also doubles as a high-stakes warm-up for the 2026 Asian Games, set to take place from September 19 to October 4 in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan, where esports will feature as a full medal sport for the second time in Asian Games history.
Disney+ will also exclusively livestream Korea's national team send-off ceremony and evaluation matches leading up to the Games, giving fans a front-row seat to the team's full competitive journey.
More KeSPA Content on the Way
Later in 2026, Disney+ will also stream the League of Legends KeSPA Cup, continuing a trend that began with the 2025 edition, the first time the event aired on a major global streaming platform rather than Twitch or YouTube. That 2025 broadcast reached viewers across South Korea, Japan, and Australia.
Kim So-yeon, Head of The Walt Disney Company Korea, said the company hopes "this collaboration will help further promote the value of Korean esports globally and contribute to the growth of the industry."
The expanded KeSPA deal is part of Disney+'s broader strategy to secure live sports and esports rights across the Asia-Pacific region, where competition from platforms like Netflix and SOOP is intensifying.
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Featured Image Source: KeSPA/Disney+
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