Pro Sports Bets on Video Gamers for Growth

A star quarterback is great for jersey sales; a star gamer is, too.

Sean “Dragonn” Allen
Photographer: Getty Images

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By Eben Novy-Williams

July 15, 2016 at 12:00 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

This article is part of the July 18, 2016 issue of businessweek.

Major league sports teams are recruiting a new kind of player: one who can score with a joystick. In the past two months, Manchester City and West Ham United, two of the top English Premier League soccer teams, have signed professional video gamers to represent the clubs when playing FIFA, a hugely popular Electronic Arts soccer video game. In Germany, VfL Wolfsburg has outfitted a pair of top FIFA game players in the team’s bright green jerseys.

American football could be next. At least three National Football League teams say they’re considering signing top gamers of EA’s Madden NFL video game to represent the franchises in tournaments. The gaming company recently revamped the format for its pro tournaments around Madden and is adding four new events. It’s also expanding its television and digital broadcasts—and offering $1 million in prize money.