Goal has agreed a deal to exclusively broadcast the inaugural eFootball League, launching 11th January.
The league, managed by Global eLeagues, will be broadcast by Goal across Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Twitch.
The FIFA 18 tournament will feature a prize pool of $10,000 and will involve teams from England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Italy, Holland, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium, Germany and Northern Ireland.
The grand final will be held live at a football ground in May 2018.
Sam Brown, Goal’s head of English language said: “Over the past couple of years we’ve noticed the increasing interest in eSports from our fans. For some, FIFA 18 is the main way they interact with football and we’re continuingly looking into how we can provide them the best FIFA content, whether that’s news or the streaming of games.
“This is why we’ve decided to work with the eFootball League, as it will allow us to showcase some of the best FIFA players and teams in the world, introducing them to new audiences and providing a new home for existing eSport fans.”
Geoff Wilson, eFootball League said: “We are delighted to have Goal on board for the inaugural league competition. Goal brings a wealth of experience as well as a huge platform to promote the league and the skills of the players during the tournament.
“eSports is growing at a phenomenal rate world-wide and the clubs involved are demonstrating an innovative approach to growing the brand of their clubs online. The eFootball League is an exciting new concept and we hope to attract new fans for not only the league but all the clubs involved.”
