Esports Foundation expands co-streaming program for EWC and ENC 2026

• The program aims to grow from 3,500 co-streamers in 2025 to 5,000 creators in 2026.
• The initiative will support both EWC 2026 and the inaugural ENC 2026.
• Creators can earn rewards through co-streaming, missions, and Battle Pass progression.

The Esports Foundation has opened applications for its 2026 Creator Program, a co-streaming initiative to grow the Esports World Cup and Esports Nations Cup.

The foundation said co-streaming played a major role in EWC 2025, with 3,500 co-streamers helping expand the event's reach across multiple regions, platforms, and languages. 

Building on that foundation, Esports Foundation aims to scale the program to 5,000 creators in 2026 while committing $2 million in rewards to support creator growth.

The initiative will run across both EWC 2026 in Paris and the inaugural ENC 2026 in Riyadh. Applications for the EWC 2026 Creator Program are open now.

More ways to watch

The Esports Foundation said the program reflects changing media consumption habits, with audiences increasingly choosing to experience events through creators they trust rather than through traditional broadcast formats alone.

Approved creators will be able to co-stream tournaments, complete missions, and progress through a Battle Pass system that unlocks rewards including gift cards, gaming gear, consoles, platform perks, and event invitations.

"This isn't just an esports trend; it's a media trend,” said Esports Foundation director of broadcast and distribution Wasae Imran. “Across music, video, news and sport, audiences don't just watch what they're given anymore. 

“They choose their own experience: what to watch, where to focus, and how deep to go. Esports just lives further down that road than most, and traditional sport is heading the same way. 

“It's not about delivering a match in one format, it's about opening up every way into the same moment and letting fans choose how they want to consume it. The Creators Program is how we build for that."