ELEAGUE, the premium esports content and live tournament brand from Turner & IMG, has reached a partnership with Electronic Arts (EA) to create multiple competitive EA SPORTS FIFA 19 events in 2019. Per the agreement, ELEAGUE becomes the first North American tournament partner to host an EA SPORTS FIFA 19 Global Series FUT Champions Cup with the ELEAGUE FUT Champions Cup February on the Road to the 2019 FIFA eWorld Cup.
The partnership will kick off with the ELEAGUE FUT Champions Cup February, one of six Major events throughout the EA SPORTS FIFA 19 Global Series. The event will be a worldwide open competition in which 64 of the game’s best players will vie for valuable EA SPORTS FIFA 19 Global Series Points and compete for a $100,000 purse. The ELEAGUE FUT Champions Cup February will take place Friday-Sunday, Feb. 22-24, from ELEAGUE Arena at Turner Studios in Atlanta. The event will feature many of the top competitors from North and South America, alongside popular superstars of competitive FIFA from around the world.
“EA SPORTS FIFA is one of the most popular, critically-acclaimed video games on a global scale and we’re thrilled to align with them in this exciting partnership,” said Craig Barry, EVP & Chief Content Officer, Turner Sports. “This will provide some unique crossover opportunities for ELEAGUE to leverage Turner’s B/R Football brand and UEFA property, as we continue to expand and further diversify its strategic partnerships to present premium esports content experiences and drive engagement across all platforms.”
“ELEAGUE is a fantastic viewership platform for competitive FIFA and accelerates the mainstream esports and sports connection thanks to the power of Turner Sports,” said Todd Sitrin, SVP and GM of the EA Competitive Gaming Division. “We’re seeing rapid growth for EA SPORTS FIFA competitive gaming right now around the world, and the opportunity to host a major event in North America will be an accelerant to this growth. This partnership with ELEAGUE is perfect given EA SPORTS FIFA’s global reach, its instant accessibility for spectators, and the millions of FIFA competitive gaming players that are participating in the Global Series.”
Live event coverage will be distributed across ELEAGUE’s Twitch channel and B/R Live – Turner’s live sports streaming service – with several integrations planned from B/R Football’s UEFA Champions League coverage. Additionally, ELEAGUE will capture the tournament’s best moments for a series to air on TBS following the event.
In addition to the ELEAGUE FUT Champions Cup February, ELEAGUE will operate a Licensed Qualifying Event within the 2019 Global Series, Friday-Sunday, May 3-5 – which will also offer EA SPORTS FIFA 19 Global Series Points and prize money. Additional details surrounding the LQE will be announced in the coming months.
