FA attempts to reach millennials through video game tournament at Wembley Stadium
The FA Cup is tapping into an array of digital channels in order to increase the popularity of the tournament amongst millennials and as part of its new drive the governing body has for the first time launched a video game tournament at Wembley stadium.
Dubbed the Fifa 16 tournament, it will be open to fans from around and will replicate the structure of the FA cup with one player representing each club from this year’s third round draw onwards.
In the later stages of the tournament players will compete at various locations within the national stadium such as The Royal Box, the changing rooms and the players’ tunnel. The two finalists will play the final in the centre circle of Wembley on the stadium’s 82 foot screens and the victor will receive a VIP experience at The Emirates FA Cup Final.
Emirates FA Cup marketing manager, Lucy Roberts-Hartley, said the competition was created because the FA is “keen to establish a stronger relationship with millennials and ignite a love of the tournament.”
She said the video game approach would work well because of the FA Cup’s “particularly tech savvy and motivated by an experience economy” audience.
Mobile network EE will also have an important part in the competition thanks to its involvement as lead partner of Wembley Stadium and the tournament.
Players can enter the competition through www.EveryGamersAdventure.com, where they will be entered into a ballot and subsequently selected at random to be one of the 64 names in the third round draw.
Applications are now open and will close on March 18 2016 with those selected in the ballot notified by March 25 2016.