This story first appeared on theScore esports.
At least three NFL teams are scouting top Madden NFL players to represent them in the esports world, according to Eben Novy-Williams of Bloomberg Businessweek.
Esports present a golden opportunity for traditional sports franchises to capture a segment of the 18-34 demographic generally lost to them, as Novy-Williams notes.
Esports also provide cheaper marketing opportunities than traditional sports due to how quickly a player's popularity can go viral on social media.
"It feels like a very small expense for what seems to get a large amount of publicity," Peter Moore, head of EA Sports' competitive-gaming division, told Novy-Williams.
West Ham United's Tara Warren shared Moore's sentiment, saying esports is "far more cost-effective than traditional marketing platforms."
West Ham is one of a number of European football clubs that have signed esports players, including Manchester City, FC Schalke 04 - which is currently fielding a team in the EU LCS - and Valencia CF, which acquired a Hearthstone team in June.