Launched in January 2021, the eLigue 1 Tour is an amateur esport competition played on EA SPORTS FIFA 21 and open to Ligue 1 Uber Eats fans from all over the world, regardless of their level. For this first edition, the eLigue 1 Tour made stops in 6 countries: Brazil, Ivory Coast, Japan, Morocco, Qatar and the United States.

Between January and March, over 3,000 participants competed in the qualification phases of the online and offline tournaments organised in these six countries.

By relying on local esports experts and a communication strategy thought out country by country and supported by famous influencers in their respective country, the eLigue 1 Tour quickly made itself known to the general public with more than 3 million impressions on the content produced around this qualification phase.

The six players crowned champions of their country will compete for the international title during the eLigue 1 Tour Finals, held in France at the very beginning of next season, and will enjoy a unique experience at the heart of the Ligue 1 Uber Eats!

To set up this project, the Ligue de Football Professionnel relied on esports specialist marketing agency Freaks 4U Gaming, who took charge of the overall management of the competition, from the setting up of the national qualifiers to the organisation of the offline final in France. The agency is also involved in all aspects of the project: operational implementation of tournaments, regulations, communication, audiovisual production, etc.

The eLigue 1 Tour meets the international development objectives of Ligue 1 Uber Eats by increasing awareness of Ligue 1 Uber Eats and its clubs in priority territories and by meeting and attracting new fans. By exploring this new esport axis, the Ligue 1 Uber Eats is also in line with the trends of the moment to make people talk about it in a different way and to connect with the new generation.

Mathieu Ficot, Deputy CEO of LFP:

"The eLigue 1 Tour completes the international development strategy of the Ligue 1 Uber Eats, one of the priorities of the LFP and its clubs. With this amateur esport competition on EA SPORTS FIFA 21, we want to reach out to a maximum number of fans abroad and increase the awareness of Ligue 1 Uber Eats in an innovative way, by adapting to new consumption patterns."

Samy Ouerfelli, Head of New Business at Freaks 4U Gaming:

"By accompanying the LFP on the eLigue 1 Tour, Freaks 4U Gaming is contributing its know-how in piloting international products, enabling sports players to help them in their desire to diversify digitally to a new audience. The eLigue 1 Tour is also an opportunity to collaborate with our network of partners around the world, and to offer marketing concepts with local roots on all continents."

About Freaks 4U Gaming

Freaks 4U Gaming GmbH is a 360° marketing and communication agency specialising in video games and esports. The Berlin-based company, founded in March 2011, employs more than 200 people in its headquarters and branch offices in Cologne, Ivry-sur-Seine (France), Taipei (Taiwan), Irvine (USA) and Niš (Serbia). In addition to the agency business, the company also develops its own digital tools and produces its own video and TV formats on a daily basis.