VY Esports Teams Up With Electronic Arts And Coca-Cola For Russian Interactive Football Cup

LOS ANGELES, May 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- VY Esports, a global esports company specializing in authentic experiences and creative content for the esports generations, today announced a partnership with Electronic Arts Inc. and Coca-Cola to launch the Russian Interactive Football Cup as an official qualifying competition of the EA SPORTS FIFA 18 Global Series, on the Road to the FIFA eWorld Cup 2018.

The EA SPORTS FIFA 18 Global Series is a multi-tiered worldwide competition where the top esports players will compete in the FIFA eWorld Cup 2018 Grand Final in August. 

To harness the enthusiasm for the upcoming 2018 FIFA World Cup, the world's most widely viewed sporting event, to be hosted in Russia for the first time, VY Esports has brought together key partners in a unique activation, including Coca-Cola who has come on board as the official sponsor of the Russian Interactive Football Cup.

During the Russian Interactive Football Cup, players, fans and celebrities will participate in an array of online and live esports events leading up to the FIFA World Cup. VY Esports will create branded content around the Russian Cup that will include player stories, game highlights, recap shows, and more. With this concept, VY brought together all the right partners in the Russian Esports Federation (RESF), Football Union of Russia (RFU), EA and Coca-Cola to collaborate on the Russian Cup.

"The Russian Interactive Football Cup will bring the global community of esports fans and players together in an experience unlike any other," said Oleg Butenko, CEO and founder of VY Esports. "The Cup will focus on online and live content that entertains and engages the competitive spirit in ways that only EA, FIFA and football can bring. We're excited to partner with EA and Coca-Cola to create the first official qualifying competition of this magnitude across Russia."

This partnership builds on Coca-Cola's longstanding connection to both the sport of football, through its sponsorship of the FIFA World Cup and grassroots programs like Copa Coca-Cola, and the fast-growing world of esports.

The first stage of the Russian Interactive Football Cup will consist of a series of online and offline qualifying events. Russian professional football club signed FIFA athletes will also be invited to play in the first round. In the next stage of competition, a total of 64 players will advance to the final tournament which will be held in May at Yota Arena, one of the world's largest esports venues located in Moscow.

The final stage of the Russian Interactive Football Cup will be broadcast on multiple platforms to reach a massive audience of esports fans worldwide. Broadcast partners for the Cup finals include Russia's largest social networks VK.com and Odnoklassniki. For fans attending the final live tournament, VY will host competitions, contests, autograph signings and events on-site with local football celebrities.

The winner of Russian Interactive Football Cup advances to the EA SPORTS FIFA 18 Global Series Playoffs. The Russian Interactive Football Cup is an accredited official EA SPORTS™ FIFA 18 Global Series qualifier as EA brings competitive FIFA to millions of fans around the world through the EA SPORTS FIFA 18 Global Series on The Road to the FIFA eWorld Cup 2018 in August 2018.

For more details on the entire EA SPORTS FIFA 18 Global Series, please visit www.FUTChampions.com.

VY Esports is led by CEO and founder Oleg Butenko, a digital entrepreneur who has founded multiple businesses focused on music, telecom, and esports. Butenko also co-founded ESForce, a global esports holding company and leader in Russian esports.

VY Esports focuses on creating unique digital products around live events and creative content for brands eager to enter the massive esports ecosystem. The company recently made two significant hires to expand its brand partnerships, live events, influencer programs, and sponsorship capabilities. Robb Hittner joined VY Esports as Chief Revenue Officer and Lisa Jenkins joined as Director of Events. Hittner brings his deep understanding of the advertising, esports and gaming industries to VY, as well as his experience creating partnerships for global brands. Hittner joined VY Esports from Edelman, where he led the company's Los Angeles brand team and the global esports offering. Jenkins joined VY from Red Bull North America, where she led the company's national event marketing strategy.

VY enables advertisers to reach esports fans and tell a continuous story across multiple distribution formats and game titles by bringing together the ad inventory across many of the highly-viewed esports events into one platform. VY Esports offers new broadcast, event and sponsorship opportunities to brands and media companies alike.

VY Esports investors include Raine Ventures, Courtside Ventures and Elysian Park Ventures.

About VY Esports
VY Esports is global esports company specializing in authentic experiences and creative content for the esports generations. Based in Los Angeles, VY Esports global team includes esports professionals from the marketing and competitive gaming worlds with deep connections in the media and games industries. For more information, visit http://www.vyesports.com

SOURCE VY Esports

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