Riot And POM Bring Esports to Big Screens

Riot Games, the powerhouse behind Valorant and League of Legends, is teaming up with Piece of Magic Entertainment (POM) to bring its global esports tournaments to movie theaters around the world. This groundbreaking partnership marks a huge step in bridging the gap between gaming and mainstream entertainment, giving fans a cinematic way to experience esports like never before.

As part of its long-term partnership, POM will oversee live theatrical screenings of the 2025 Valorant Champions Grand Finals in Paris on October 5th across nine European regions.

Following this, the League of Legends World Championship Finals in Chengdu, China on November 9th will be live screened in over 30 regions across Europe.

From PC Screens to the Big Screen

For years, millions of fans have tuned in online to watch Riot’s tournaments — the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) and the League of Legends World Championship (Worlds).
Now, through its collaboration with Piece of Magic, Riot Games will deliver live and recorded broadcasts of these massive events directly to cinemas across multiple countries.

Imagine sitting in a dark theater, surrounded by fellow gamers, cheering for your favorite teams as they battle for glory — all in immersive HD and surround sound. That’s the experience Riot and POM are promising to deliver.

According to the announcement, this partnership aims to transform esports tournaments into cinematic global events, similar to how live concerts, UFC fights, and FIFA World Cup screenings are shown in theaters worldwide.

What This Means for Esports Fans

This initiative offers a completely new way for fans to engage with their favorite games. Instead of watching streams alone on Twitch or YouTube, players can now share the excitement with a live audience.

Here’s what fans can expect:

• Theatrical broadcasts of key esports events, starting with Valorant Champions and League of Legends Worlds 2025.
• Exclusive behind-the-scenes content, interviews, and cinematic pre-shows tailored for theater audiences.
• Special fan screenings and watch parties hosted in major cities, making the experience feel like a global sports event.

This move also aligns with Riot’s long-term vision of building esports into a mainstream spectator sport that rivals traditional athletics in scale and cultural relevance.

Piece of Magic’s Role: Turning Esports Into a Cinematic Experience

Piece of Magic Entertainment (POM) is known for producing and distributing cinematic experiences for music, sports, and cultural events. They’ve worked with major global brands and artists like BTS, Coldplay, and Muse, bringing live performances to theaters worldwide.

By partnering with Riot Games, POM will use its global theater network and cinematic production expertise to create a premium experience for gaming audiences. This means that Riot’s tournaments won’t just be “streamed” on big screens — they’ll be reimagined for theaters, complete with enhanced visuals, lighting, and sound mixing to create the ultimate esports movie experience.

This partnership also ensures fans can watch matches simultaneously across different time zones, making it feel like a truly worldwide gaming celebration.

Global Reach and Accessibility

Riot and Piece of Magic are targeting key esports markets first — including North America, Europe, and parts of Asia — before expanding to additional regions. Fans will be able to find participating cinemas through official Riot and POM platforms, where tickets will be sold for both live and encore showings.

This isn’t Riot’s first experiment with cinema distribution. In previous years, limited screenings of League of Legends World Finals drew enthusiastic crowds in select countries. But with POM’s support, this time it’s going global and full-scale.

The goal is to make esports tournaments as culturally significant as film premieres or major sporting events — something fans can gather to celebrate together.

Why It Matters: The Merging of Gaming and Entertainment

Esports has rapidly evolved from niche hobby to billion-dollar industry, with millions of fans following professional teams, tournaments, and storylines. Riot’s decision to bring this experience to theaters represents the natural next step in esports’ mainstream evolution.

Here’s why it’s significant:

1. Community and Shared Experience

Gamers often connect digitally, but in-person theater screenings offer a way to experience the thrill of competition together.
That communal energy — cheering, gasping, and celebrating — mirrors traditional sports fandom.

2. Cinematic Storytelling

Riot Games is known for its top-tier production quality — from animated cinematics to music videos. Bringing tournaments to theaters allows Riot to showcase the spectacle of its esports storytelling in full cinematic glory.

3. Mainstream Recognition

Just as Marvel brought comic fandom to the mainstream, Riot’s move could do the same for esports. Theaters filled with cheering fans highlight the legitimacy and excitement of competitive gaming as entertainment for all ages.

What Riot Games Says

While Riot hasn’t disclosed every detail yet, company representatives have expressed enthusiasm about making esports more accessible and spectacular than ever.

A Riot spokesperson said (paraphrased):

“We’re constantly exploring new ways to bring players together and celebrate competition. Partnering with Piece of Magic allows us to elevate the experience, bringing the passion of esports to a larger audience in a shared, cinematic environment.”

Impact on the Valorant and League of Legends Ecosystems

Both Valorant and League of Legends have thriving esports ecosystems, with regional and global championships drawing millions of viewers.

For Valorant:

• The Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) has been growing rapidly since its 2021 launch.
• Bringing matches to theaters will increase audience engagement and boost visibility for teams, sponsors, and the game itself.

For League of Legends:

• The annual World Championship is already one of the most-watched esports events globally.
• Cinematic screenings will add a new layer of prestige, turning the event into a cultural happening beyond just the gaming community.

Marketing & Monetization Opportunities

This collaboration opens new marketing frontiers:

• Merchandise sales tied to screenings (limited-edition items, exclusive digital rewards, etc.).
• Local partnerships with gaming cafés, esports bars, and streaming influencers to co-host watch parties.
• Brand integrations and sponsorships tailored for cinematic audiences.

These strategies could set a new precedent for how esports events generate revenue — not just through online ads or streams, but through physical events and global cinema distribution.

Future of Esports in Theaters

If successful, Riot and POM’s partnership could inspire other publishers like Blizzard, Valve, or Epic Games to follow suit. Imagine future live screenings of Dota 2’s The International or Fortnite World Cup in theaters — complete with real-time reactions from fans worldwide.

Esports might soon share the same space as blockbuster movies, live concerts, and sports finals — all celebrated in theaters.

Conclusion: The Future of Esports Looks Cinematic

The partnership between Riot Games and Piece of Magic Entertainment isn’t just about showing games in theaters — it’s about transforming esports into a global cultural experience.

By combining Riot’s storytelling and competitive drama with POM’s cinematic expertise, this initiative could redefine how millions of fans experience their favorite games. Whether you’re a Valorant agent main or a League of Legends Summoner, the next world finals might not just be something you watch online — it could be an event you feel together with hundreds of fans on the big screen.

As gaming continues to blur the line between digital and real-world entertainment, Riot’s move reminds us that esports isn’t just competition — it’s spectacle, community, and culture.