Sportswear giant adidas has partnered with EA Sports’ FIFA Global Series for 2020, with the official match ball being unveiled.
The ball and overall partnership will debut at the FUT Champions Cup Stage in November.
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The official match ball will be available for players to receive through FIFA 20 Ultimate Team packs and watching competitive FIFA 20 Global Series events with their EA account connected to Twitch.
Florian Alt, VP of Global Brand Communications for adidas commented in a release: “At adidas, we believe that sport has the power to change and transform lives – but this is no longer limited to what takes place on the field. With the growth of esports, we’re seeing a whole new category of athletes emerge, whose game requires a unique set of skills, training and mindset.
“We are just as committed to helping support their game, to be the best they can be, through innovative partnerships, specially designed products, as well as physical and mental training tools to help enhance their game. We’re excited to be at the forefront of this new category of sport.”
The FIFA Global Series is a season-long competition which utilises FIFA 20’s ‘Ultimate Team’ mode, with players building teams of real-world footballers acquired through packs to construct their team. The season is made up of numerous events across the globe, with the very best performers ending up at the FIFA eWorld Cup.
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Brent Koning, FIFA Competitive Gaming Commissioner at EA added: “We view partnerships for the global game of EA SPORTS FIFA to be a vital connector between football culture and FIFA culture. This ground-breaking partnership with adidas to field the official EA SPORTS FIFA 20 Global Series official ball reinforces the growth of this competitive gaming franchise. Having a partner with such an iconic brand rooted in football culture – both on and off the field – will continue to build player and spectator interest in the EA SPORTS FIFA 20 Global Series.”
As part of the deal, adidas and EA will also produce a number of short films in partnership with EXOS. The films will show how esports athletes and adidas are working to improve their gaming performance through mindset, nutrition, movement and recovery techniques. The films will be available to view later in 2019.
Esports Insider says: adidas is one of the most recognisable brands in sports and it’s not surprising to see it continue to grow its presence in esports. While we’ve seen adidas become involved at a few different levels of the esports ecosystem, its involvement in FIFA esports continues the brand’s deep connection with football – whether that’s physically and virtually.