Xbox becomes official gaming partner of England football team

From the iconic Nintendo and Sega football shirts of the 90s, to PlayStation’s sponsorship of the Champions League. And now Xbox is continuing this long-standing tradition of the powerhouses of the industry partnering with football teams. The Series X and S makers have revealed they’ve joined forces with none other than the England football team.

It’s been revealed Xbox is now the official gaming partner of the England National Teams.

This is across the Lionesses, eLions, and the Three Lions, as well as Wembley Stadium connected by EE and St George’s Park.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t mean we’ll be seeing a massive Xbox logo emblazoned on the England shirt anytime soon – like we saw with the Nintendo or Sega logos that featured on Fiorentina and Arsenal kits in the past.

National football team kits don’t feature branding like that.

But to mark the beginning of this partnership Wembley Stadium was lit up in Xbox green.

Not only was the Wembley arch and displays on the front of the stadium lit up in green, but so was the walkway that leads to the famed pitch.

Xbox and the FA said their partnership was “a celebration of the driving principle of inclusivity in play shared by both Xbox and The FA”.

The shared message of welcoming players from all walks of life is expressed in the partnership’s message: “When Everybody Plays, We All Win.”

Marcos Waltenberg, director of global Xbox partnerships, said: “At Xbox we strive to remove barriers and to empower people to experience the joy of play: millions of people around the world find common ground and connect through playing games, as they do with football.

“In The FA we see a tremendous organization which has the same drive and ambition to empower people as we do at Xbox. Through our partnership we aim to bring further value to the England Football Teams and power the dreams of players and fans everywhere.”

Kathryn Swarbrick, the FA’s commercial and marketing director, added: “We are delighted to be partnering with Xbox, a brand that aligns with The FA’s values. Gaming is loved and embraced by fans across the world and we see this partnership as an opportunity to take that relationship to the next level for all of those connected with English football.

“’When Everyone Plays, We All Win’ is a message that rings true of what we strive to achieve at The FA and we hope that our inspirational national teams can bring great value to Xbox.

“As a not-for-profit organisation, commercial partnerships are vital in allowing us to continue to invest millions into all levels of the game, so we thank Xbox for that support.”

The partnership was announced in the run-up to England’s game against Hungary on September 2.

As part of the partnership, Xbox will be committing to a grassroots gaming campaign with the FA – bringing exciting experiences for football and gaming fans across the nation.

source: express.co.uk