Over 100 million viewers tuned in last month to the World Cup of a soccer-based product that much of the sporting ecosystem may have still never heard of.
The Kings League World Cup Nations tournament – which took place across Italy and incorporated 16 national teams – came as the latest iteration of the seven-a-side Kings League, the collaboration between sports and entertainment launched by Spanish soccer icon Gerard Pique in 2022.
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Kings League, launched and based in Spain but now expanding across other Latin countries (a women's Queens League followed in 2023), is arguably the most radical approach ever taken in terms of making soccer more attractive to a younger, more digital-focused generation with a significantly shorter attention span.
The innovations and quirks added onto a base layer of soccer are numerous and, in some cases, seemingly ridiculous.
For example – there are unlimited substitutions, sin bins are in operation, each drawn game automatically goes to penalties, and both participating teams have access to a ‘golden card’ which gives them access to a benefit that will be kept secret until it is used. A giant dice, rolled onto the indoor playing area at various points, adding another dimension to proceedings, is also involved.
And those are just the on-field adaptations.
In terms of team selection, playing squads are chosen via a draft and trade system, through the use of a virtual economy.
The teams are owned, meanwhile, by a combination of former well-known professional players, including Sergio Aguero, Spanish internet influencers, and online streaming personalities.
Partly because of these internet celebrities and streamers getting involved, the league has by this point built up good traction in terms of securing a base audience.
It is still primarily viewed live through its social media channels, including YouTube and Twitch, while the various streamers involved as team owners and players also show the action live on their platforms. The content is produced and filmed in a way that can remind viewers of video game footage.
And while mainstream broadcasters and networks did not immediately crowd in to strike deals, interest in the property from that sector is now increasing – the World Cup of Nations had media partners such as Sky Sport in Italy, DAZN in Japan and Australia, ESPN & Disney+ in Latin America, CBS Golazo Network in the US, and OneFootball essentially worldwide.
High-profile sponsorship deals with the likes of McDonald’s, Red Bull, Spotify, Air Asia, Adidas, Iren, and Floki, were also secured.
As Kings League moves into 2025, and plans expansion across the Americas, the Middle East, and Asia, Sportcal (GlobalData Sport) talks to the series’ chief executive (CEO), Djamel Agaoua.
Agaoua, formerly managing director for Europe and the Middle East at the National Basketball Association (NBA), was unveiled as the new Kings League CEO last October, with global growth one of his top priorities.
The chief executive, in an in-depth conversation, analyses Kings League's broadcast strategy, how it looks to enhance its appeal amongst brands, and what the end goal is for this rapidly growing product.
He starts by trying to explain what the main driving ethos behind Kings League is, and the reasons behind its ability to access the fabled next generation.
Agaoua: “We are tapping into the market of the young generation, who are changing the way they consume sports, media, and entertainment.
“The explosion of mobile phone usage, the launch of apps like TikTok and Instagram, these changes create new methods of consumption by young people.
“What we’ve done is create a product that fits with this type of consumption.”
While he shies away from suggesting the property is setting a trend that others will try to emulate, he does think Kings League is “showing another way of creating emotions through sports".
He says: “Traditional football is not dead, that’s ridiculous. We simply think this is an alternative that can be successful, covering the needs of fans who want action to be faster, funnier, and more intense. We think we are leading the way in that space.”
He points out that “we are being coped in some ways by a few companies, which I hope means we are doing something right.”
The success in drawing viewers’ attention, he says, is down to a combination of heightened intensity of on-pitch action, and also the personality of those involved – the presidents, players, and streamers (sometimes all those roles are carried out by the same individual).
Regarding the speed and fast-paced nature of proceedings, he says: “It’s a very intense product where something is happening every two or three minutes, which is something you don’t find in a lot of sports. I don’t say that because I dislike other sports, but there are indeed a lot of moments where nothing particularly is happening.
“That is not the case with Kings League – something is happening every couple of minutes, a goal, a change of the rules.”
In terms of the personalities and characters of those involved, meanwhile, he believes that this means they can “create an intense and intimate relationship with our audience. This means the audience feels engaged with the product".
He says: “Our streamers can create emotion in their content that makes the community of fans very engaged. It makes them feel part of the adventure and part of the story.”
This can be seen, in one example, in the way streamers will provide commentary around their own teams’ games, or in some cases, those of a rival.
“They do not have to be neutral, for example, which is an alternative option we provide – some of our fans like this tone which is slightly non-politically correct,” explains Agaoua.
He adds: “Some fans for example will watch a streamer who supports [Spanish giants] Barcelona commentate on a Real Madrid game [their bitter rivals] specifically for that reason.
“We create new experiences that are difficult to create in traditional soccer – some fans will deliberately watch their rivals’ Kings League team because their favorite streamer is commentating.
“These kinds of situations are impossible in traditional football because of the way media deals are structured and because of the need for neutrality, but are possible here with our structure of more direct streamers.”
In terms of the tie-ups with the broadcast networks that Kings League does have, the CEO says that “the vast majority we have are low value for now. We select our partners based on the investment they are ready to make into marketing and explanation of the product, to reach out to new audiences.
“Our objective is to maximize reach – we have a strategy initially of distributing across free platforms like Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok, across our channels and our presidents’ channels, so we’re trying to maximize reach to make sure the product is available to the largest number.”
The World Cup of Nations was shown by broadcast partners in over 45 countries, for example, with the league currently in a phase where the emphasis for broadcasters is, Agaoua says, “explaining the game and educating the audience.”
The property’s approach to sponsorship deals is also unique in the sports industry, Agaoua claims.
Kings League, instead of accumulating as many commercial partners as possible for monetary reward, wants to “limit that number to between eight and 10 in each country."
This “gives us a lot of leeway in terms of only selecting brands that will be accepted by our audience and who fits well with them.
“Between 85% and 90% of our audience is under the age of 30 so we’re positioned and aimed at GenZ – we’re looking at brands who have the same target demographics.”
Last October, Pique stated that 65% of the property’s revenue came from sponsorship tie-ups, primarily with like-minded brands such as Adidas, Spotify, and McDonald’s.
The Kings League Americas spin-off competition is title-sponsored by the Banco Santander Mexico firm.
"A commercial partner of Kings League becomes very much part of the overall entertainment and content package the property offers its fans, the chief exec claims, with “a specific division here creating content for our partners that fits with our DNA and with our audience," he says.
“A brand is part of the show – we are always trying to create new experiences and content for them.
“In traditional sports, brand treatment is very event driven – brands activate before the event, around the match itself, and at half time. While we do that as well, most of our main assets are digital – we are a digital content house.
“So, we involve our sponsors in helping us create digital experiences for our fans.”
For example, players and streamers work with league partners on their content channels to increase visibility for both parties,
In terms of how Kings League might expand into new territories over the next few years, Agaoua explains that from a base of three main competitions currently – in Spain, Italy, and Latin America – the property wants to get up to eight in 2025, meaning six countries are on course to be added this year.
The Kings League hierarchy, he says, is “completely convinced that building an international Kings League ecosystem is key.
“We will then expand more in 2026, and if I look at four to five years from now, I wouldn’t be surprised if we had 30 to 50 leagues worldwide, with maybe two bigger competitions – like a World Cup of Nations and another for clubs – growing and thriving.
“We launched our Italian league in early February, the Brazilian one will launch in March, and there will be more in the coming weeks. Our domestic leagues have a strong future.”
He also says that the Kings League hierarchy is constantly receiving requests from companies in all markets and territories “who want to work alongside us to bring Kings League to their own countries."
“The concept is really exciting and the sky is the limit – all 195 countries is our aim. Soccer is played everywhere, so it’s about prioritizing.”
A tie-up with Italian men's soccer's top-tier Serie A, for example, was announced late last month.
The decisions as to which markets should be prioritized – and in which order this should happen – are based on several criteria.
These include whether there is a good ecosystem of available players in that country, whether women’s soccer is developed so a Queen’s League can be launched, and whether there is the necessary streaming landscape in the market so that the competition will gain the visibility needed.
Does Agaoua see Kings League as the tip of a spear for a revolution in how soccer will look for future generations?
“I don’t see any traditional threat to football or other sports in the next 10 years – but after that, what will happen when my kids are 40, for example? After 20, or 25, years of consuming sports differently, will the next generation make traditional sports evolve and move?" he says.
“It is not a surprise that young, small, agile companies move faster and are more creative than the bigger sports properties.”
