Real Madrid, the pro Spanish soccer organization, has jumped into esports. Via their official Weibo account on May 7th, Real Madrid announced they will be starting an esports business in China. Real Madrid’s first investment was made on FIFA Online 4, and they will be partnering with a Chinese pro team to participate in the FIFA Online Star League (FSL), a professional FIFA tournament.
This is not the first time a European soccer organization has joined the esports business; F.C. Schalke 04 has also taken over LCS EU Elements and began their own pro League of Legends team. Olympique Lyonnais from France has partnered with EDward Gaming, while Paris Saint-Germain F.C. signed a contract with LGD Gaming’s DOTA 2 team to further their advertising.
The number traditional sports teams making investments in esports has been dramatically increasing in the past few years as organizations try to acquire a younger fan base and advance their global marketing. Notably, in the case of the NBA - which has an average viewer age that is lower than other sports - Adam Silver, the commissioner of the National Basketball Association (NBA) has recommended making investments in esports at a conference for team owners in 2016. Esports has been gaining a large influence over traditional sports teams’ management and advertising.
Real Madrid commented, “we hope the communication channel between Real Madrid and the Chinese fans will expand through starting an esports team” on their Weibo account.
