eDivision becomes ‘kpn eDivision’ from the new season on 30 march

The eDivisie, the EA SPORTS FIFA 21 competition in which all 18 Eredivisie clubs are represented, starts a new season on March 30 with a new name. The competition is being renamed the KPN eDivisie, while KPN’s current title of Official Partner eDivisie is being expanded to Official Naming Partner eDivisie. The contract is for a term of 2.5 years. The KPN eDivisie is organized by the Eredivisie CV in collaboration with DreamHack Sports Games.

eDivisie to become KPN eDivisie
In November 2020, KPN joined FBTO and H&M as Official Partner of the eDivisie. From next season, the partnership is being expanded to the fullest extent: the eDivisie is becoming the KPN eDivisie.

Record-breaking number of viewers and average viewing time
The previous KPN eDivisie season, which was played between November and January, was watched by more than 500,000 unique viewers. Never before had so many unique viewers watched the KPN eDivisie. In addition, the KPN eDivisie Final achieved the highest average viewing time since the competition was launched: more than 20 minutes. Ajax won that final on January 6, 2021 against Vitesse and is the reigning champion.

“Recently, KPN has become a partner of the eDivisie, part of the Eredivisie CV and launching partner of E_Oranje, an initiative of the KNVB,” says Mark Versteegen, Head of Sponsorships at KPN. “With these two new sponsorships we are expanding our existing activities in football and at the same time we are reaching large numbers of young gamers. Now that the eDivisie is officially called ‘KPN eDivisie’ we have an even higher profile in the fast-growing world of gaming. After all, eSports is one of the world’s fastest-growing sport communities. With our super-fast and stable fiber network and our ‘best on test’ mobile network, we are there as “the network of the Netherlands” for all gamers. So we are proud to add our name to the successful competition”.

Scott Steedman, Chief Commercial Officer of Dreamhack Sports Games, adds: “We are delighted to expand KPN’s partnership with eDivisie and now to add KPN’s name to the competition. KPN is a trusted partner of the KPN eDivisie and has already discovered the benefits of partnering with our competition. We look forward to rolling out this expanded partnership by means of innovative campaigns that are inspired and appreciated by our community.”

In the view of Arnoud Schonis, Project Manager eSports at the Eredivisie CV, KPN’s adoption of the eDivisie is a vote of confidence. “This is a huge step forward for esports in the Netherlands and we are proud that one of the biggest companies in the Netherlands is expressing added confidence in the KPN eDivisie. It helps us to enhance our trustworthy and professional image and we can reach and entertain even more young football and EA SPORTS FIFA fans. In conjunction with KPN, DreamHack Sports Games and our other partners we can expand the KPN eDivisie in a structural and stable manner during this 2.5-year partnership.”

Live every Tuesday and Wednesday, €50,000 in prize money
From March 30 through June 2, the 18 Eredivisie clubs will compete for the champion’s trophy and €50,000. Every Tuesday and Wednesday for seven weeks, a total of 17 rounds will be played, after which a ranking of 1 through 18 will be known. Numbers 1 through 4 in the ranking table qualify directly for the KPN eDivisie Finals; numbers 5 through 12 compete in a playoff for the remaining four spots in the finals. On Wednesday 2 June, eight clubs will battle it out in the KPN eDivisie Finals.

The KPN eDivisie can be seen live every Tuesday and Wednesday from 17.30 to 20.30 on the KPN eDivisie YouTube channel. All the matches will be accompanied by commentary by influencers such as Koen Weijland, Frank van der Slot, Bas van Velzen and Raoul de Graaf.

World-class Swedish player for FC Emmen, well-known Belgian player for VVV-Venlo
There are three new players in comparison with the previous KPN eDivisie season. Ryan Tilborg of Feyenoord is replaced by Collin Dekkers, who returns to the KPN eDivisie having previously played for RKC Waalwijk. At FC Emmen, the Swede Oliver Uttgren (Oliboli) replaces Toon Buné, and VVV-Venlo welcomes back Stefano Pinna to the KPN eDivisie – two years ago he represented PSV. The appearance of “Oliboli” is particularly noteworthy; this season he has already won a major European tournament and the FIFA eClub World Cup. It strengthens KPN eDivisie’s position as one of the world’s most professional, competitive and prestigious EA SPORTS FIFA-competitions.

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Note to editors

List of players

ADO Den Haag: Danny Hazebroek (Xbox) and Rick Dame (PlayStation)

Ajax: Dani Hagebeuk (Xbox) and Tjardo Paliama (PlayStation)

AZ: Dani Visser (Xbox) and Gilles Bernard (PlayStation)

FC Emmen: Levy Frederique (Xbox) and Oliver Uttgren (PlayStation)

FC Groningen: Nick den Hamer (Xbox) and Bob van Uden (PlayStation)

FC Twente: Brent Weerink (Xbox) and Enis Tokdemir (PlayStation)

FC Utrecht: Jaey Daalhuisen (Xbox) and Melvin Boere (PlayStation)

Feyenoord: Collin Dekkers (Xbox) and Julian van den Berg (PlayStation)

Fortuna Sittard: Jason Glas (Xbox) and Marc Groenland (PlayStation)

Heracles Almelo: Bryan Hessing (Xbox) and Lev Vinken (PlayStation)

PEC Zwolle: Stefan Vellinga (Xbox) and Tony Kok (PlayStation)

PSV: Dennis Verhoeven (Xbox) and Ali Riza Aygun (PlayStation)

RKC Waalwijk: Leroy Miggels (Xbox) and Jaap van Alphen (PlayStation)

Sc Heerenveen: Floris Jorna (Xbox) and Niels Krist (PlayStation)

Sparta Rotterdam: Aristote Ndunu (Xbox) and Thomas de Zeeuw (PlayStation)

Vitesse: Renzo Oemrawsingh (Xbox) and Levi de Weerd (PlayStation)

VVV-Venlo: Jesper Maes (Xbox) and Stefano Pinna (PlayStation)

Willem II: Sem van den Hoof (Xbox) and Tim van Doleweerd (PlayStation)

About the KPN eDivisie
The KPN eDivisie is an initiative of the Eredivisie CV, in partnership with the 18 Eredivisie clubs, EA SPORTS™ and DreamHack Sports Games. The KPN eDivisie is part of EA SPORTS FIFA Global Series. In the KPN eDivisie, esports players from the 18 Eredivisie clubs battle for the championship and prize money of €100,000 in the game EA SPORTS FIFA 21. For the Eredivisie and the Eredivisie clubs the KPN eDivisie is an innovative platform for reaching young people and enhancing the involvement of existing fans in their club. The KPN eDivisie is supported by DreamHack Sports Games, KPN, FBTO and H&M. More information via edivisie.nl.

About DreamHack Sports Games
DreamHack Sports Games (DHSG) is where traditional sports meet esports. As a prominent Sports Games esports company, DHSG organizes esports competitions and tournaments with traditional sport IP rights holders. It has put the gaming sports community on the map in a unique way, thereby developing powerful media products. As a result, it has organized 15 EA SPORTS FIFA seasons worldwide and has established long-term partnerships with NHL and the European Tour. By creating strong event and media products relating to competitive esports, DreamHack Sports Games ensures that the competitions and tournaments that it creates are attractive and fascinating entertainment products for the community.

Set up as part of DreamHack, a leading gaming-lifestyle-festival organizer, DHSG combines esports knowledge with the know-how of producing some of the biggest traditional sports events across the world. Since 2019, DreamHack Sports Games has been an autonomous company within Modern Times Group AB, the trend-setting international digital entertainment group, which also owns the esports brands ESL and DreamHack. More information can be found on dreamhacksportsgames.com.

About KPN
KPN has been the leading supplier of telecommunication and IT services in the Netherlands for almost 140 years. Everyone in the Netherlands uses the KPN network directly or indirectly every day, from the fiber connections in the ground to the ATMs in stores or the matrix signs above the freeways. Via the nationwide network of the Netherlands, in which KPN is continually investing by laying fiber optics and rolling out technology such as the new mobile 5G network, KPN serves consumers and business customers with telephony, data, TV, cloud, workspace and security services. KPN has an open network on which other providers offer services as well. More information on www.kpn.com