British broadcaster BBC has announced a partnership with EA SPORTS that will see the FIFA 21 Global Series European Regional Qualifiers be aired on its platforms.
The European Regional Qualifiers and Playoffs will be shown on the BBC iPlayer, plus BBC Sport’s website and app. The competition will also still be available to watch on EA SPORTS FIFA’s Twitch and YouTube channels.
RELATED: BBC Sport set to broadcast League of Legends’ 2021 UKLC Spring Split
The partnership between the two will kick off with the third European Regional Qualifier on Saturday, February 20th, at 5pm GMT.
BBC iPlayer will provide live coverage of each match, broadcasting up to eight hours of FIFA esports content per day. FIFA 21’s Global Series programming will also be available on BBC iPlayer for 30 days following the live broadcasts.
Over the last 12 months, the BBC has been more inclusive of esports on its platforms, with the broadcaster recently airing CS:GO and Rocket League tournaments, whilst also showing last year’s W Series.
[primis_video widget=”5183″]
RELATED: BBC Sport to broadcast Rocket League European Spring Series
Brent Koning, EA SPORTS FIFA Competitive Gaming Commissioner commented: “We see FIFA competitive gaming as an extension of football fandom, and BBC is the ideal partner as it will allow millions of UK fans the opportunity to watch one the most popular games played at the highest level.”
In addition, it has been announced that the broadcaster will show the European Regional Qualifiers #4 and #5, which are expected to commence in March and April respectively, with a view of showing the European Playoffs later down the line.
Esports Insider says: The BBC has been adding to its list of broadcasted esports over the past year, and FIFA 21’s premier tournament, the Global Series, becomes the latest string to that bow. It’ll be interesting to see how successful this partnership will be, especially given the ease of transition from watching football to FIFA esports.