# Esports Fan Engagement Platforms FC Cincinnati Joins Rival to Launch a Fan-Focused Gaming Platform By Kanesa D | Published 2022-08-05 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fc-cincinnati References: [esportsinsider](https://esportsinsider.com/2022/08/fc-cincinnati-rival/) & [rivalesports](https://rivalesports.com/)  Major [League Soccer](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rogue-1) team [FC Cincinnati](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ticketing-partnership) has announced it will be partnering with fan engagement platform Rival in order to provide fan-focused perks for its community. To celebrate the partnership, FC Cincinnati and Rival will be hosting a FIFA tournament on August 9 and an FC Cincinnati Esports Night soon after. Winners of the aforementioned tournament will be gifted four tickets to the football club’s upcoming game against [Atlanta United](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/candy-digital). This news comes after Rival’s previous partnership with football club Reading FC which resulted in the launch of esports organization Royal Esports. Dan Parise, Chief Marketing Officer at Rival, commented on the new partnership: “We are thrilled to expand our portfolio in soccer with the launch of FC Cincinnati’s gaming community. With its clear and innovative approach connecting virtual and live sports and cultural experiences, we see endless applications and possibilities to collaborate and grow the club’s connection with fans through esports.” Image Credit: FC Cincinnati, Rival ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.0/10 - Popularity: 21% | Activity: 27% | Freshness: 12% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## 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 - **Fan-focused Gaming Platforms:** The partnership between FC Cincinnati and Rival demonstrates a trend of sports teams utilizing gaming platforms to engage with fans and create new revenue streams. - **Esports Tournaments:** The FIFA tournament hosted by FC Cincinnati and Rival highlights a trend of sports organizations using esports tournaments as a way to reward loyal fans and garner new support. - **Sports-esports Collaborations:** Rival's partnerships with soccer teams like FC Cincinnati and Reading FC indicate a trend of traditional sports and esports collaborating to build communities and engage new audiences. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Sports:** The partnership between FC Cincinnati and Rival offers a disruptive innovation opportunity for sports teams to utilize gaming platforms to engage with fans and create new revenue streams. - **Esports:** The increasing collaboration between traditional sports and esports provides a disruptive innovation opportunity for esports organizations to expand their reach and build communities with new audiences. - **Gaming:** The trend of sports teams partnering with gaming platforms presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for gaming companies to enter the sports industry and create new revenue streams. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Esports Community Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-realm.md) - [Community Tournament Series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rival.md) - [Co-Owned Digital Football Teams](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gen-city.md) - [Fan-Focused Esports Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/furious-gaming.md) - [Esports Cryptocurrency Partnerships](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/riot-games-coinbase.md) - [Esports Content Partnerships](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/xfinity-1.md) - [Esports Football Clubs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/g2-football.md) - [NHL-Backed Esports Lounges](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/new-jersey-devils.md) - [Marketing-Centric Esports Deals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fnatic-3.md)