- First ePremier League held outside the UK
- Tournament kicks off on April 28
The Premier League, English soccer's top-flight, will team up with Tencent Sports, Tencent Esports and EA Sports, to launch a new esports series on the FIFA title China later this month.
The ePremier League China tournament is expected to deepen the Premier League’s digital offerings in the country, where it already has more than eight million followers across its digital and social platforms.
The tournament will be be broadcast on Tencent Sports, Tencent Video and Tencent News, and will also be available on streaming platforms Huya, Douyu and Yizhibo.
Matches will be played on EA Sports Fifa Online 4 (FO4) on PC, which has more than ten million registered players in China. Each of the 20 Premier League clubs will be represented in the tournament by two local players – one high-ranking gamer on the FO4 leader board and one hand-picked content creator or influencer.
Group matches will take place between 28th April and 8th May. The knockout phase will be held on 14th May, with the grand final on Saturday 15th May.
Premier League commercial director Will Brass said: “After three successful ePremier League seasons in the UK, it is exciting to now be able to take this overseas for the first time and particularly to China, a hotbed for gaming and football. I am sure it will prove popular with the loyal and passionate supporters of Premier League clubs in China.”
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