We are currently living in what could be described as the golden age of OTT services. From Netflix to Watcha, Wavve, Coupang Play, TVING, and Disney+, the market is absolutely saturated. In such a crowded arena, carving out a unique identity isn't just a strategy—it's a survival requirement.

Most platforms rely on original content to lure subscribers, but Disney+ has recently taken a different route by diving into esports broadcasting. For those of us who live and breathe games, this is a particularly intriguing development.

The expansion of the Disney+ esports portfolio really kicked off with the 2025 KeSPA Cup last December. For eight days, they provided exclusive live coverage of League of Legends matches, but they didn't stop at merely broadcasting. By curating interviews and behind-the-scenes content, they distinguished themselves from traditional platforms. Leveraging their global reach, they simultaneously broadcast these matches to multiple countries, effectively turning domestic esports into genuine global content.

Disney+ shows no signs of slowing down this year. They are set to exclusively stream the national team's send-off ceremony and exhibition matches for the 2026 Asian Games. Furthermore, you can catch the '2026 Asia Esports Games,' which spans three days starting on the 24th, exclusively on their platform.

This year's Asia Esports Games warrants special attention. Evolving from the 2021 Korea-China-Japan Esports Games, the tournament expanded to cover the broader Asian region last year. South Korea walked away with victories in both League of Legends and Step in (individual and team) events.

This year, seven nations—Korea, China, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, and Mongolia—will compete. The number of events has surged to seven, including demonstration sports, and with 150 national athletes participating, the scale of the event has reached an all-time high.

Disney+ will provide global exclusive live coverage for four titles on the first day: Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, The King of Fighters XV, and the eFootball series. They will also serve as the official broadcaster for PUBG Mobile and Eternal Return on the second and third days, further cementing their connection with fans.

The highlight, for many, will be Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6. Tekken legend 'Knee' (Bae Jae-min) will represent South Korea in Tekken 8. While he had a bit of a shaky start following the game's release, he has found his groove. After winning and taking runner-up spots in the domestic SOOP Tekken League (STL), he triumphantly lifted the trophy at 2025 EVO JAPAN. With his long-time rival 'Nobi' (Daichi Nakayama) representing Japan, a classic Korea-Japan showdown is on the cards.

For Street Fighter 6, 'DakCorgi' (Yeon Je-gil) has been selected as the national representative. Yeon previously competed in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games for Street Fighter 5 but faced a tough exit in the third round of the losers' bracket. However, he is showing a resurgence in form after winning the 16th Presidential Amateur Esports Tournament (KeG) in 2024. Having expressed deep disappointment in his previous exit, all eyes are on whether he can show a new side of himself this year.

In The King of Fighters XV, 'MaDkof' (Lee Gwang-no), famously known as 'Neighborhood Hyung', will take the stage, while Song Young-woo and Kim Do-gyeom are set to compete in eFootball. Lee has been consistent, placing 3rd at Combo Breaker 2025, 2nd at the CEO 2025 community tournament, and winning Vegas Climax 4. Song is also a strong contender, having won the 2024 Korea-China-Japan Esports Games.

PUBG Mobile is also worth watching. The South Korean 'dream team' features players like 'Nolbu' (Song Su-an), 'Pabian' (Park Sang-chul), 'Hyunbin' (Park Hyun-bin), 'XZY' (Kim Jun-ha), and 'TIZ1' (Kim Dong-hyun) from top teams including Nongshim RedForce, KDF DRX, and Dplus KIA. It will be fascinating to see how they generate synergy compared to their usual team environments.