# Soda-Supported ESports The e-COPA Coca-Cola Tournament Hopes to Discover the Next ESports Star By Justin Lam | Published 2018-02-08 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ecopa-cocacola References: [esportsinsider](http://www.esportsinsider.com/2018/02/ecopa-coca-cola-esports/) The e-COPA [Coca-Cola](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/esports-awards-1) tournament is the newest Coca-Cola backed [eSports](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/belong-gaming-arenas-1) event and will give players the chance to enter the [FIFA](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fifae) 18 Global Series. The tournament is part of The Road to FIFA eWorld Cup 2018, and will be open to all gamers free of charge. This aspect of the Coca-Cola backed tournament is increasing accessibility in FIFA eSports and will open the competition up to a wider range of players. The e-COPA Coca-Cola tournament is already underway in France, with players competing to be one of the 24 French players in the national finals of the competition. Before its European expansion, the e-COPA Coca Cola tournament was first tested in the United States. This version of the tournament was run with US college students and was done in partnership with EA sports. The goal of both projects is quite similar, in that the tournament is designed to discover grassroots talent within FIFA eSports. Image Credit: Coca Cola ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.3/10 - Popularity: 29% | Activity: 33% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial - Top markets: Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) > [Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/games) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Soda-supported Esports:** Coca-Cola's e-COPA tournament is increasing accessibility in FIFA eSports and opening competition to a wider range of players. - **Grassroots Talent Discovery:** The goal of the e-COPA Coca-Cola tournament and its US college student counterpart is to discover grassroots talent within FIFA eSports. - **Expansion of E-copa:** The e-COPA Coca-Cola tournament is expanding from the United States to France and potentially beyond. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Beverage:** Coca-Cola's support of eSports presents an opportunity for other beverage companies to enter the market. - **Video Games:** The e-COPA and similar tournaments present disruptive innovation opportunities for the video game industry to broaden their audience and increase accessibility of eSports. - **Higher Education:** College partnerships with eSports tournaments can increase visibility of universities and offer students a new avenue for scholarship opportunities. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Esports Awards Activations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/esports-awards-1.md) - [Game-Themed Soft Drinks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/coca-cola-2.md) - [Soccer Soda Brand Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/world-cup-marketing-campaign.md) - [Gamer-Targeted Diet Sodas](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/coke-ultimate-zero-sugar.md) - [HBCU Esports Tournaments](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/brag-house.md) - [Eco-Beer Esports Partnerships](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bud-light-next-x-evo.md) - [Educational Esports Programs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/belong-gaming-arenas-1.md) - [Competition-Based Esports Partnerships](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/esports-world-cup-1.md) - [Football Challenge Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/beat-the-icon.md)