BT Sport FIFA Challenge is the first in a series of esports formats BT Sport hopes will continue after the pandemic.
BT Sport has unveiled a celebrity-led esports series, in partnership with Gfinity.
The BT Sport FIFA Challenge series includes Robbie Savage, Joe Cole and Ugo Monye captaining teams with rugby and football stars.
There’s also an all-female squad led by Chelcee Grimes.
The show is the first in a series of new esports concepts coming out of the partnership between the broadcaster and esports specialist Gfinity.
It will be co-produced by BT Sport and Gfinity. The companies now aim to devise new show formats in esports that will continue “long after the current coronavirus crisis has ended.”
The series began on Friday on BT Sport 1 and will air weekly until the Grand Final on 5 June.
BT Sport COO Jamie Hindhaugh, said: “Lockdown has meant that we have been looking at new content and formats to give our viewers their sport fix while there is no live sport. The good news is that this has accelerated our esports plans with Gfinity, using our market leading remote production capabilities, with a fun, chat based, FIFA gaming format with plenty of competition between our BT Sport teams that we hope our viewers will enjoy.”
Amanda Lawson, Gfinity global head of content added: “To finally get to bring a show to the screen in partnership with BT Sport is extremely exciting. Our focus this year has been on developing formats and shows that work for TV audiences in a way that ‘traditional esports’ has previously come up short. As with all good TV shows, this series will feature top talent, a unique and entertaining format and a fiercely contested competition. We very much look forward to working with BT Sport on further esports concepts and to bringing exciting new shows to their viewers.”