Nivea Men have been named as the official naming rights partner of the E-League in Australia, the domestic EA Sports FIFA21 gaming competition.

The personal care brand have signed on for the 2021 season, as the competition enjoyed a successful 2020, with the FIFA21 Challenge becoming the most watched Esport event for EA Sports, with an average minute audience of more than 254 000 and a total watch time of more than one million hours.

Australian Professional Leagues (APL) chief commercial officer, Ant Hearne, said the deal is evidence the league is growing.

“We are really excited to bring the Nivea Men E-League back for our fans because we know they love football 24/7 and Esports is a big part of that,” Hearne said.

“The new format is designed to be super-competitive, especially when we have some of Australia’s top players involved and more teams taking part.

“The numbers show that around the world Esports is the fastest growing spectator sport – our fans connect with football in all different aspects of their lives, and we know that gaming is a key part of that,” he said.

The tournament will take place in late April, with competitors vying the be victorious across both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One platforms.

The two winners of the tournament will enter the Oceanian playoffs, a direct qualifier for the FIFAe World Cup.