Bulletin #: I2019-020
Date:
Mar. 28, 2019
To:
Ontario Soccer; District Membership, ORA, Associate Members
CC:
Ontario Soccer Board of Directors, Staff
From:
Bjorn Osieck, Director, Business Operations
Subject: FIFA
eSports Platform Launch
As one of the strategic initiatives
identified in our new Ontario Soccer 2019-2021
Strategic Plan, eSports can play an important role in our membership engagement
plans for the future. eSports has transformed in recent years from a more niche
activity to a truly global phenomenon and in many ways is becoming a mainstream
pastime. Ontario Soccer are directing our eSports focus exclusively towards the
popular “FIFA” title, which many Ontario members are actively already playing.
Through preliminary industry research Ontario Soccer has found that many of
our registered players, both at the youth and senior level, are expanding their
soccer knowledge and horizon through their enjoyment of “FIFA.” Members are
becoming more actively involved and invested in all facets of the beautiful game
and are doing so in a way that is in conjunction with their on-field play, rather
than choosing the virtual version over the actual game of soccer.
Driven
by membership input and consultation, Ontario Soccer is in the process of further
exploring eSport possibilities and implications for the growth of soccer in Ontario going forward.
Following-up on the recent FIFA 19 eSports tournament, held at the 2019 Ontario
Soccer Summit in London, in conjunction with Northern Arena, and as part of our
ongoing research and testing efforts in the eSports sphere, Ontario Soccer would
like to extend to all interested members the opportunity to engage in further
eSports events throughout the upcoming spring and summer.
Northern
Arena is a Canadian eSports organization with a focus on creating
platforms for online and in-person events, to build and nurture grassroots gaming
communities around various gaming titles. In 2019, Northern Arena has placed a
dedicated emphasis on the FIFA title series and has created a platform on which
individuals can register and test their skills on the virtual pitch.
Season
1 of the Northern Arena FIFA 19 Cup will kick off on Sunday, April 6,
and is completely free to enter for all participants. Registrants
will play in a series of online tournaments over an eight-week time period, with
the top performers qualifying for a final to be broadcasted live from the Northern Arena studio on Sunday, May 26.
Season 2 will work in the same fashion and will kick-off on June 8, 2019 for
another eight-week cycle shortly after the conclusion of Season 1 culminating
in a broadcasted live final on July 28. Ontario Soccer encourages anyone interested
in participating in Season 1 of the Northern Arena FIFA 19 Cup to do so by clicking
the following link.
Throughout 2019, Ontario Soccer will be working with Northern Arena and other
organizations in this space to determine how collaborations between Ontario Soccer
and its member Districts, Clubs and Academies can occur to cultivate further engagement
opportunities with our membership base, while also looking to attract new participants to our beautiful game.
In keeping with our Strategic Initiative on eSports, additional information
will be forthcoming in the weeks ahead.
For additional information or further
questions, please contact Cameron Brooks,
Coordinator of Marketing and Partnerships.
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