FIFA Ultimate Team Championship Series to Be Broadcast on ESPN

FIFA isn’t just one of the most popular video games around, now it’s going to be on TV as well. EA has announced it’s partnering with ESPN to bring FIFA tournaments to channels such as ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, and the Internet-based ESPN3.

“We've long believed in the potential of competitive gaming to reach an even broader audience once games are more accessible to play and more accessible to watch,” said Todd Sitrin, SVP, EA Competitive Gaming Division. “I'm very excited to bring on ESPN who shares our vision as we pioneer the next phase of our competitions and bring experiences like EA SPORTS FIFA to more fans.”

According to EA, ESPN’s telecast of the Paris Regional Final marked the first time that the network has ever aired an e-sports event in the United States.

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Additional coverage of The FIFA Ultimate Team Championship Series will also be available on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN3. Globally, ESPN will carry the Paris Regional Final and the remaining six FIFA EA Majors in more than 60 countries on various key platforms in English (Canada via TSN, Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands and the Caribbean), Spanish (Mexico, Central and South America), and Portuguese (Brazil).

“We’re expanding our competitive gaming portfolio to include events that also resonate with traditional sports fans, and EA’s FIFA Ultimate Team Championship Series fits perfectly into how we intend to continue to serve e-sports fans moving forward,” said John Lasker, VP of programming and acquisitions, ESPN. “The opportunity to reach this passionate audience globally in multiple languages is exciting, and we are pleased to do so as part of our long-standing relationship with EA.”

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In addition, the FIFA Ultimate Team Championship Series will be streamed live on Twitch and YouTube.