LaLiga Kicks Off the Third Edition of the eLaLiga U.S. Challenge, Signs Panini America as Sponsor, and Introduces More Experiences Around LaLiga

LaLiga continues the international development of its eLaLiga program hand in hand with EA SPORTS as a partner, with the third edition of the eLaLiga U.S. Challenge presented by Panini America, a subsidiary of the Panini Group, which comes with major new developments: Panini America added as presenting partner; the format of the competition has been changed, adding more possible prizes; continuing with the commitment to have professional LaLiga players and American athletes and an exciting final experience around LaLiga.

From March until May, four EA SPORTS FIFA 23 online qualification tournaments will be held for anyone who wishes to enter uschallenge.elaliga.gg. The top two gamers in each tournament will win $500 and will also have access to the Celebrity Challenges.

In the four Celebrity Challenges, gamers will have the opportunity to virtually meet four celebrities made up of professional LaLiga players and/or American athletes. Last year, some of the celebrities who participated in the tournament were: João Félix (Portugal, Atlético de Madrid), Tecatito (Mexico, Sevilla FC), Luis Suárez (Uruguay, Atlético de Madrid) and Diego Lainez (Mexico, Real Betis). They will also feature content creators RatedHugo (+200K followers) and Leah Revelle (+60K followers) as hosts who will guide viewers through the competition and introduce the participating amateurs.

The four winners of the Celebrity Challenge will qualify for the Final Event which will be played in person on June 3 in Miami and will also be broadcast on eLaLiga's social media channels (TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Twitch and YouTube) and via guest streamers. The overall winner will enjoy an incredible all-inclusive LaLiga experience with a trip to enjoy the best of soccer.

LaLiga North America, a joint venture between LaLiga and Relevent Sports, is committed to eSports as a tool for audience growth in the United States. In its third year, the eLaLiga U.S. Challenge presented by Panini America brings together the collectibles brand and its different products, including its trading cards, NFT Blockchain platform, and merchandising in a partnership that represents an opportunity for LaLiga by linking itself to digital collectibles products through Panini America, and an opportunity for Panini America to enter into competitive gaming through eLaLiga. In addition, both LaLiga and Panini America, in their ongoing commitment to young audiences and digitalization, have joined forces with a new format which offers benefits for amateur gamers.

"With the eLaLiga U.S. Challenge we have established a program that allows us to invest in a growth strategy focused on eSports to reach a young, digital and multicultural audience and therefore, get closer to our fans through hands-on experiences such as this tournament," said Boris Gartner, CEO of LaLiga North America.

"Given our brand's heritage in soccer, partnering with LaLiga North America on the eLaLiga U.S. Challenge seemed like a natural foray into eSports as we continue to engage collectors across platforms for both our physical and blockchain NFT products," said Jason Howarth, Vice President of Marketing and Digital at Panini America.

Finally, thanks to the agreement between LaLiga and Panini America, gamers will have access to LaLiga and Panini America trading card and NFT products and merchandise, as well as discounts and advantages when purchasing Panini America collectibles.

About LaLiga North America

LaLiga North America is a joint venture between LaLiga and Relevent Sports Group that serves as the exclusive representative of LaLiga in the United States, Canada and Mexico for all commercial and development activities. The venture manages the television/media rights and commercial agreements on behalf of LaLiga and supports its growth in the region through consumer-related activities including content development, events and activities, marketing agreements, development of youth academies and coaches, exhibition matches, and the provision of training and coaching services.

About Panini America

Panini America is a subsidiary of The Panini Group, established over 60 years ago in Modena, Italy with subsidiaries throughout Europe, Latin America and the United States. Panini is the world leader in officially licensed collectibles and is the most significant publisher of collectibles in the U.S., with official licenses for NASCAR, NFL, NFLPA, NBA, NBPA, FIFA, UFC, WWE, College, Disney and other key properties from many other licensors. Panini is also the exclusive trading card and sticker partner of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Elite 11 and Pop Warner Little Scholars, Inc. Panini has distribution channels in more than 150 countries and employs a staff of over 1,200. For more information visit us at www.paniniamerica.net, www.paninigroup.com or http://blog.paniniamerica.net/. You can also follow Panini America on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.