eCanadian Premier League launches as part of FIFA 20 Global Series

Canada’s domestic football league, the Canadian Premier League, has partnered with Electronic Arts to launch the eCanadian Premier League.

The competition will field players representing all eight clubs and serves as one of FIFA 20’s Global Series qualifiers.

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Players from across Canada will compete from February 29th for each of the club’s PlayStation and Xbox spots across eight weekends. 16 selected players will go on compete at the eCanadian Premier League final in Toronto on May 9th, which will be broadcast on OneSoccer and Twitch.

David Clanachan, Commissioner of Canadian Premier League Commissioner, discussed the venture in a release: “Partnering with EA for the first all-Canadian eCPL league is another proud moment for us. Reaching the global audience through FIFA gamers and the Esports competition is an incredible opportunity for us and in line with our mission to develop good young Canadian players and open the doors of opportunities in the world of professional football – we see this competition as an extension of that and can’t wait too kick-off on February 29.”

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The tournament features a prize pool of CAD$17,000 (£9,843) with the top team taking home CAD$10,000 (£5,790) and qualifying points for the FIFA 20 Global Series Playoffs. Operation of the tournament will be handled by Canadian organisation Northern Arena.

Sam Turkbas, Deputy FIFA Competitive Gaming Commissioner at EA SPORTS added: “The EA SPORTS FIFA 20 Global Series is the esport for the world’s game and we are pleased to bring league competition to Canada, one of our most important markets. We look forward to reaching Canadian competitors and fans around the world through esports with the EA SPORTS FIFA 20 Global Series and eCPL League.”

Esports Insider says: Canada has quite the appetite for football so the move makes sense for EA. For the Canadian Premier League, this is a good opportunity to continue building its presence amongst football fans in the country, especially when competing against the larger Canadian teams in the MLS.

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