Disney+ broadens its esports lineup

Disney+ is leaning even further into esports in 2026, extending its partnership with the Korea e-Sports Association, better known as KeSPA. The expanded deal will bring more Korean and pan-Asian competition to viewers on the platform, because apparently one tournament was not quite enough.

The first event under the new arrangement will be Esports Championships Asia Jinju 2026, set for April 24 to 26 in South Korea. The tournament will feature national teams from seven countries: South Korea, China, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, and Mongolia.

Competitions will include:

  • Street Fighter 6
  • The King of Fighters XV
  • Tekken 8
  • eFootball

The event will also carry matches from PUBG: Battlegrounds and Eternal Return.

More than one event, and Disney+ knows it

Disney+ is not stopping at the April tournament. The service will also stream the 2026 League of Legends KeSPA Cup later in the year, along with coverage of South Korea’s national esports team as it prepares for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, which begin on Sept. 19.

The expanded agreement builds on a partnership announced in September 2025 between Disney Korea and KeSPA. That earlier deal covered exclusive streaming rights for the 2025 KeSPA Cup and included content focused on Korea’s national esports team ahead of the Asian Games.

The 2025 KeSPA Cup was shown on Disney+ across several APAC markets, including South Korea, Japan, and Australia.

For KeSPA, the deal offers another route to international visibility for Korean esports. For Disney+, it adds more live sports and event programming to a platform that is clearly interested in becoming more than a place to rewatch animated classics and other familiar comforts.

Kim So-yeon, head of The Walt Disney Company Korea, said:

“Building on strong support from viewers at home and abroad, we are pleased to present a broader range of dynamic esports content on Disney+ this year. We hope this collaboration will help further promote the value of Korean esports globally and contribute to the growth of the industry.”

The timing is also notable. Other platforms are increasing their presence in the Korean esports space, including SOOP, which has become the exclusive Korean broadcast partner for the 2026 OWCS season and has also partnered with LG Electronics to bring esports events to television.