April 23 – The Premier League is is launching ePremier League in China this monthin partnership with it broadcast license holder Tencent Sports, Tencent Gaming and EA SPORTS.
It will be the first ePremier League event to be staged outside the UK and will be played on the FIFA Online 4 platform with all 20 Premier League clubs represented by a local high-ranked gamer competing alongside “hand-picked content creators and influencers”, said the Premier League.
The competition kicks off next week and completes Saturday May 15.
Premier League commercial director Will Brass said: “The EA SPORTS FIFA Online 4 video game series is one of the key channels through which fans in Asia can engage with Premier League clubs and players.
“After three successful ePremier League seasons in the UK, it is exciting to now be able to take this overseas for the first time and particularly to China – a hotbed for gaming and football.
FIFA Online 4 (FO4) on PC has more than 10million registered players in China. The Premier League says it has eight million followers across its digital and social platforms.
The clubs will be divided into four groups of five teams, with the winners of each group advancing to a knockout stage. Group-stage matches will be played online, whereas knockout matches will be played offline at Wisdom Bay in Shanghai.
The tournament is being broadcast on Tencent Sports, Tencent Video and Tencent News. It will also be available on Huya, Douyu and Yizhibo.
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