Gerard Pique’s Kings League is expanding via a partnership with Serie A with both parties agreeing to run collaborated events that seek to create new ways of engaging with their fans.
The Kings League, a seven-a-side football league created by the FC Barcelona legend in 2022, has featured several Serie A iconic players already, including Zlatan Ibrahmović, Francesco Totti, Gianluigi Buffon, and Alessandro Del Piero.
The partnership aims to bring together fans of Kings League’s newly-launched Italian league and those of Serie A in a collaborative effort that will foster new forms of engagement between the two parties.
CEO of Serie A, Luigi De Siervo, said: “We at Lega Serie A are delighted to announce this partnership with Kings League. We have to continue to try and speak to the next generation of football fans, and a collaboration with Kings League does just that.
“They have a fresh and dynamic approach to the sport, which has resulted in one of the most interesting and innovative creations in our game’s long history. The elements of fan participation and customisation are intriguing, and has resulted in their fan base being engaged with and excited for all elements of the league.
“We believe combining our traditions and legends with the creativity of Kings League will open up new opportunities for both entities, capture a wider audience, and further strengthen Serie A’s position as one of the premier football leagues in the world.”
The Kings League’s new Italian league will feature 12 teams owned by club presidents, alongside internet influencers and digital content creators, with players taking on part on the pitch being some of the most recognisable in the sports history.
The league format sees six matches take place on one single matchday, with qualifying teams entering the end-of-season playoffs and the final two teams competing in the final.
In order to maximise the attention of the younger, digital-native audience, the Kings League has incorporated gaming elements, such as matches only being 40 minutes each, internet influencers interacting with audiences in real-time and other elements to create an immersive and personalised experience.
The recent Kings World Cup Nations tournament, an international competition that – for the first time in history – saw 16 national teams from across the world compete in Italy, garnered over 100 million global viewers, with 1.5 billion social media impressions generated.
“We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Serie A,” said Djamel Agaoua, CEO of Kings League.
“Joining forces with Serie A will allow us to continue innovating and creating, to bring an unparalleled experience to our fans, which carefully blends tradition with modernity, fostering excitement in new fans.
“Together with our friends at Serie A, we look forward to creating new opportunities for a new generation of football fans, and reaching new heights together.”
Football leagues that involve ex-pros and internet influencers are becoming a popular trend in the world of football. A similar format, the Baller League, recently received fresh funding from APEX, backed by several footballers such as Mason Mount and Diogo Jota.