FIFA 17 championships to air on British TV
Virtual football will hit televisions in the United Kingdom after BT Sport struck a deal for the four remaining EA FIFA Majors in 2017's Ultimate Team Championship Series.
Viewers will be able to watch the finest FIFA 17 gamers compete across three continents on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 platforms before the grand final is staged in Berlin on May 20-21.
"Competitive interactive football gaming is a rapidly growing industry and I'm delighted that BT Sport is now able to showcase it for the first time ever in the UK," head of BT Sport Simon Green said, according to the Guardian.
Prestigious football clubs have embraced esports over the past few years due to the continued popularity of EA Sports' FIFA series. Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, and Brazilian behemoth Santos are among a growing throng of outfits that have developed their own esports departments with gamers representing the club in tournaments.
3️⃣ points and 4️⃣ goals in the first group game for @AmanSedd!
— AS Roma eSports (@RomaeSports) February 19, 2017
4-0 #DajeAman ‼️ pic.twitter.com/rkBP0m2GYC
"There's a profound opportunity for competitive gaming to achieve mainstream success and the key to accomplishing this is accessibility," said Todd Sitrin, senior vice president and general manager of EA's competitive gaming division.
The first event that will be broadcast is the North American regional final in Vancouver, Canada on April 8 - the same day Premier League leader Chelsea is slated to trot out onto Bournemouth's Dean Court in real-life football.