Video games sustain FIFA in the worst of the pandemic

In the year of the pandemic, the Federation obtained more income from video games than from football itself PC World / FIFA 21

The cybernetic ball rolled more than the real one in 2020. The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA, for its acronym in English) has revealed in its latest financial report that beyond the expected negative results due to the stoppage of all kinds of shows and public activities due to the coronavirus pandemic, video games have prevented the total collapse of their accounts.

Of the 266 million dollars (224 million euros) in revenue reported by FIFA, 158.9 million - for the first time more than half - comes from licensed products, such as video games.

"A key source of income in the area of ​​licensing rights was the licensing of brands for video games," acknowledges FIFA in the report.

"In contrast to the many economic sectors that were drastically affected by COVID-19, the video game industry proved to be much more resistant to the pandemic."

But it was not by chance.

FIFA had already been preparing the field of electronic play for several years and the pandemic only proved that they are on the right track.

FIFA has a wide range of products that have gradually been successfully breaking into the electronic sports (

eSports

) and online video game streaming industry.

In addition to the

FIFA eClub World Cup

, the

FIFA eChallenger Series

and the

FIFA eNations StayAndPlay friendlies

, the Federation also launched the

FIFA eContinental Cup

and introduced

FIFAe

, a new brand of

esports

tournaments designed to create a substantial stage for players, clubs and nations, as specified in the report.

• Video game and esports streaming will attract 1 billion viewers by 2025

However, the good figures of virtual football do not compensate for the losses in the more traditional sources of financing.

FIFA announced a 65% drop in total revenue, with a 99% reduction in TV rights billing and a net loss of $ 682.9 million.

A safe bet

During the recent session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), FIFA President Gianni Infantino addressed the development of electronic sports and encouraged participation and investment in the video game communities.

According to statements collected by the specialized page

Inside The Games

, Infantino insisted on “taking advantage of the opportunities of a changing landscape such as technology, society and sport that accelerated our investment and focused on virtual forms of our sports to involve the youths".

Infantino's statements resonate in an industry that is growing by leaps and bounds.

The transmission of video games and electronic sports will attract a billion viewers by 2025. In addition, the latest study by the research firm Juniper Research estimates that the sector will revalue 70% in the next four years, and that one in eight people worldwide you will be a spectator or player in this industry.

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