English Premier League football club Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. has partnered with fan engagement platform Rival to launch MyAlbion Gaming, an online gaming community.
The platform will offer a variety of programming and experiences across esports titles, including FIFA and Rocket League, marking the football club’s entry into esports.
Brighton & Hove will utilise Rival’s fan engagement platform to host esports leagues and tournaments across different titles. According to a release, the duo will also offer other experiences, including a rewards programme.
Rival is a fan engagement platform that drives engagement and customer acquisition amongst media properties, most notably traditional sports clubs, using esports and gaming.
The company has now launched esports platforms for nine European football clubs, including English clubs Reading FC, Liverpool F.C. and Leeds United.
Rival has also partnered with Monumental Sports and Entertainment, the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, NHL’s Florida Panthers, NBA’s Detroit Pistons, MSL’s FC Cincinnati and the NBA 2K League.
Brighton & Hove Albion’s Head of Marketing, Anna Easthope, commented: “With the launch of MyAlbion Gaming, we’re excited to offer a new Albion experience to our fans online.
“We recognise that fans are already immersed in gaming and esports so we’re thrilled to combine the love of gaming and Albion in one place. We’re looking forward to seeing the engagement and growth Rival’s platform will deliver.”
An upcoming FIFA tournament, titled Premier League Home Opener, has already been listed on the MyAlbion Gaming website.
The launch comes ahead of Brighton’s first home fixture for the 2022-23 season. The club finished ninth in the 2021-22 Premier League season.
