Through a partnership with Discovery Networks Denmark and event organiser DreamHack, every football club from the Danish Superliga will compete in the eSuperliga – a new FIFA 19 competition.
Claus Thomsen, President of the Danish Superliga discussed the new venture: “We are very proud to finally unveil the eSuperliga. Several of the biggest clubs in Denmark have been engaged in esports for some time, while for others this is a new ballgame. Therefore, we are very happy to have DreamHack on board, bringing years of international esports tournament experience to the table. We look forward to presenting FIFA esports with a quality, that matches a traditional TV broadcast.”
Each football club that competes in the Superliga will field at least a team of two players and a coach, and will compete for a prize pool of over $50,000 (£38,265). Teams will take part in two matches each week, starting November 5th.
Marcus Lindmark, CEO and President of DreamHack also commented: “Several of the world’s top FIFA players are Danish but the cooperation between the Superliga, the football clubs and Discovery Networks Denmark is a precondition for making the eSuperliga a reality, and indeed presenting the talent to a wider audience. We are happy and proud to be a part of such a visionary project. With the Danish Superliga and Discovery, we are going to deliver FIFA esports on a new level.”
The eSuperliga is an Official League Qualifier for EA SPORTS FIFA 18 Global Series and the FIFA eWorld Cup. Matches from the Danish league will be streamed on Discovery Networks Denmark’s new streaming platform Dplay, with some of the bigger games being aired live on TV channel Canal 9.
Anders Antonsen, Director of Nordic Sports in Discovery Networks Denmark added: “We know that our streaming service Dplay attracts a younger audience which makes it the ideal launch pad for the new eSuperliga. Furthermore, we have chosen to air FIFA matches live on TV as well, to reach a wider target group who will hopefully also take this new branch of the sport to heart.
“It is an ambitious project which we hope will pave the way for similar endeavors around the world. Through our platforms as a sports broadcaster we ensure that esports will have a stronger presence in the football clubs and with the thousands of existing FIFA fans, while we also hope to build an even bigger fan base for esports and FIFA in Denmark.”
This news follows hot on the heels of a similar competition in the United Kingdom, the ePremier League. Announced on October 4th, each of the 20 current Premier League clubs have committed to take part in a FIFA 19 tournament starting January 2019. It too is part of the Global Series.
Esports Insider says: It’s not too surprising to see more national football leagues getting involved with FIFA 19 in this way, everybody knows esports is a growing phenomenon and it’d be silly to ignore it. Having the promise of televised coverage is great for the game, not forgetting that Denmark’s best teams will all be taking part.