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iral video app, TikTok, has been announced as an official partner for the upcoming EURO 2020 tournament, which was postponed last year due to COVID-19 but will still be branded as EURO 2020 despite taking place in 2021.

The partnership will involve an official UEFA EURO 2020 account, which will include exclusive behind-the-scenes content with past and present footage for fans to engage with.

TikTok UK and USA general manager, Rich Waterworth, said in a release plenty of innovations are being prepared in the lead up to the tournament.

“As part of our partnership with UEFA we’ll be able to launch a range of exciting features including AR effects, hashtag challenges, TikTok LIVEs, and sounds for our community,” Waterworth said.

“UEFA will give us access to its huge library of historic assets to develop highly engaging and innovative content,” he said.

The deal is another example of the change in mindset from traditional TV viewing, moving towards streaming, with the NFL in America currently a year into their deal with the app.

The video app has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the past 12 months, most notably through the COVID-19 pandemic, recording approximately one billion average monthly users, with 70 billion views of the #football hashtag since its inception.

The deal seems to suit football, with many players who will be playing at the upcoming tournament, already engaging with TikTok, including: Sergio Ramos, Robert Lewandowski, and Gini Wijnaldum, all regularly active on personal accounts.

Due to its postponement last year, and due to the current pandemic climate, the tournament will be held across 12 nations, with the first match on June 11 in Rome where Turkey play Italy.