February 22 – Video gaming took a step into the broadcast mainstream in the UK at the weekend with the first broadcast by Britain’s public broadcaster, BBC, of the FIFA 21 Global Series European Regional Qualifiers.
February 4 – Electronic Arts (EA) has renewed is exclusive license with UEFA for its Champions League and Europa League video games, keeping both competitions on the FIFA platform.
January 21 – Football clubs’ engagement with eSports platforms has taken a deeper dive with 23 teams from around, including Manchester City, Juventus, Inter and AC Milan, partnering with Epic Games – the creator of video game Fortnite – to bring the first-ever official football kit inspired skins to the game.
December 18 – The 2021 eChampions League will start in February and culminate with the final to be played the day before the UEFA Champions League final in Istanbul. Prize money has been set at €280,000.
December 8 – FIFA is reporting a record 480 teams entered into its FIFAe Club Series, a 150% increase on last season.
November 4 – With the world in various stages of lockdown and fans in most countries unable to attend matches in stadia, the opportunity of engaging with fans via esports has not been lost on clubs or leagues.
November 4 – Serie A’s AC Milan has entered the esports with a strategic partnership with Italian organisation QLASH to form a new team that will be called AC Milanm QLASH.
October 22 – UEFA has launched the second of its national team esports competition – eEuro 2021 – which will complete with a London final in the summer next year.
October 15 – FIFA has restructured its esports tournaments with three new competitive pathways and a combined prize money pot of $4.35 million. It has also rebranded with a new design under the tagline ‘Fame your game’.
September 29 – Germany’s DFL has renewed its 20-year partnership with EA Sports and its FIFA franchise for another ‘multi-year’ term.
August 25 – The Virtual Bundesliga esports club championship has been expanded to 26 clubs for its third season that will be played on the FIFA 21 video game.
August 24 – Trading platform eTorohas expanded its football marketing activity into France taking the left sleeve sponsorship patch on the AS Monaco Esports shirt in a two-year deal.
By David Owen
August 3 – Pandemic-related lockdowns and travel restrictions have wreaked havoc with football schedules. But the enforced isolation of individuals and family groups for weeks on end in many soccer-mad countries is evidently doing no harm at all to the video-gaming and esports booms.
By David Owen
July 10 – FIFA is suckling on the teat of its increasingly productive esport cash cow just a little more vigorously, unveiling plans on Friday for an extension of the FIFA eChallenger Series, along with games-maker EA Sports.
June 25 – Electronic Arts and LaLiga have extended their partnership in a 10-year deal that will keep EA Sports’ FIFA title as the league’s official and exclusive video games partner.