FIFA 21 Challenge sets esports records for EA

EA recently announced that The EA SPORTS FIFA 21 Challenge set viewership records as its most-watched esports broadcast on October 29.

EA Records

The EA SPORTS FIFA 21 Challenge, a one-day event that featured top professional football players along with FIFA esports players, set a record 254,057 average minute audience (AMA). Even more impressive is that the event more than doubled the next largest EA esports event. FIFA Global Series FUT Champions Cup: Barcelona previously held the record with an AMA of 92,678. The Barcelona tournament lasted multiple days nearly three years ago in January of 2018. FIFA esports has clearly come a long way since the last EA esports record.

Director and Deputy Commissioner for FIFA Competitive Gaming Sam Turkbas and Brent Koning, EA SPORTS FIFA Commissioner made large contributions to make the achievement possible. Brent spoke on the viewership milestone for football culture.

“EA SPORTS FIFA is woven into the fabric of football culture. Bringing professional footballers and our esports pros together creates entertainment that sets our tournaments apart,” said Brent Koning, EA SPORTS FIFA Commissioner. “The success of the FIFA 21 Challenge reinforces our strategy and vision for broadening the esports audience, creating content for our fans, and underscores the value of entertainment-driven events that branch outside of traditional esports.”

In the end, it was @TrentAA and @Tekkz who became the #FIFA21 Challenge Champions! ?

Check out the tournament recap ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/3qaoHnF2k0

— EA FIFA esports (@EAFIFAesports) October 30, 2020

EA SPORTS FIFA 21 Challenge

The challenge itself paired four FIFA esports players with four professional footballers. Professional players came from international clubs Liverpool, West Ham United, Inter Milan, and Borussia Dortmund. Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold and Fnatic’s Donovan “Tekkz” Hunt ended up winning the competitive event. Both winners selected charities and sent the $20 thousand prize there.

The #FIFA21 Challenge Champions ?

Congrats @TrentAA & @Tekkz ! #FGS21 pic.twitter.com/eUfhGzfoyK

— EA FIFA esports (@EAFIFAesports) October 29, 2020

This event brought on celebrities to capture non-gamers and grow an audience. And based on the record-setting viewership, the strategy and event was a success. What’s more, is that The EA SPORTS FIFA 21 Challenge first used the new FIFA Global Series Viewership Rewards, helping reward and engage viewers.

EA is most known in the esports scene for popular titles FIFA and Apex Legends, which just launched Season 7 and new legend Horizon. The EA SPORTS FIFA 21 Challenge made huge viewership records that won’t be easily surpassed. But the success of this 1-day event shows how positive the future of FIFA esports looks.

Written by Justin Amin

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