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'FIFA 19' demo gives you an early taste of The Journey this week
It's that time of year again: FIFA demo season. The demo's 2019 installment for, you guessed it FIFA 19, will be released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One September 13th, around two weeks before the full game. The playable teaser features 10 teams total including UEFA Champions League clubs Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
Amazon may add to its ‘free’ TV streaming in the UK
Amazon's next foray into video probably isn't what you expect. No, the e-commerce juggernaut isn't jumping into VR (that we know of), it will potentially start offering more free, ad-supported channels however. At least in the United Kingdom. According to the UK's This is Money (an offshoot of The Daily Mail), Amazon recently posted a job listing for "head of free to air TV and advertising" based out of London. The expectation is that it'll broadcast Premier League soccer next year for free, with traditional commercials running during the matches.
PSVR’s World Cup ‘executive suite’ is more ludicrous than luxurious
In case you wanted another way to watch this year's World Cup from Russia, PlayStation has you covered. Sony's gaming division has partnered with BBC Sports VR to put you in a virtual executive box replete with a gigantic window overlooking the pitch. More than that, you'll have a choice between three different "seats" on the fly, too: behind each goal and from the midfield line. You just need a PlayStation 4, PSVR helmet and the BBC's free World Cup PSVR app.
'PES 2019' loses Borussia Dortmund ahead of launch
Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer series can't catch a break. It's been second fiddle to EA's FIFA series for years, and with news that another team has ended its licensing agreement with the underdog football franchise likely won't help matters any. Borussia Dortmund "prematurely" exited its licensing agreement with the game-maker ahead of its 2020 agreement, as spotted by Kotaku.
'PES 2019' hits PC, PS4 and Xbox One on August 28th
If you'd rather not support EA's definitions of "gambling" and "loot boxes" but still want to play virtual soccer football, maybe this year's Pro Evolution Soccer from Konami will tickle your fancy. PES 2019 will be in stores August 28th (US) and August 30th (Europe) for Steam, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It'll feature 4K HDR video across "all capable platforms," too. Hopefully that means support for the PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X in addition to PC. Earlier last month it was revealed that the franchise would lose its license for the Champions League teams and players, and Konami hasn't provided any information yet on what will replace them. However, its announcement trailer for the new game features and awful lot of David Beckham, and there will even be an edition of the game named after Posh Spice's husband. The game is up for pre-order right now, and we'll probably get answers to our burning questions about which leagues and stadiums will be featured next month at E3.
Sega brings 'Football Manager Touch 2018' to Nintendo Switch
It's officially official: We told you it was coming soon, and now a few days later Football Manager has made its way to the Nintendo Switch. As for which version it is, if you had money on Touch, you're a winner. Meaning, this is a version of the game that's the same across Linux, Mac, mobile platforms and PC. The Switch version uses both touchscreen and traditional Joycon controls, and it's the first console version with the full 3D match engine. It's currently on offer through the Nintendo eShop for $40 (US) / £30 (UK) -- so decide now if you really still have time to finish a few more shrines in Breath of the Wild.
FIFA and EA will put on the first-ever 'eWorld Cup' next year
FIFA and Electronic Arts are taking their partnership to the logical conclusion point: the pair will put on the first-ever eWorld Cup next August. Competition starts next month on November 3rd. From the press release:
Turner's sports service will be the home of Champions League soccer
Not to be outdone by ESPN, Turner Broadcasting has announced a sports streaming service of its own next year. And to start, it's partnering with UEFA on a three-year deal to stream Champions and Europa League games beginning with the 2018 - 2019 season. That'll cover some 340 matches, according to a statement from Turner. In addition to streaming, games will be broadcast across the media group's TV channels including TBS, TNT "and/or" truTV beginning next year. Not a soccer fan? Turner says it'll offer other sports as well.
Fox Sports brings its 'virtual suite' to Gold Cup VR broadcasts
Fox Sports is no stranger to VR. The network broadcasted Super Bowl 51 via a virtual suite of sorts, for instance. Now Fox is taking that further with the CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer championship. The footie action starts July 8th with the USA vs. Panama match at 4:30 PM Eastern, and will continue with two as-of-yet unannounced games thereafter. Basically, it's combining that social space from American football with its previous work of broadcasting what everyone else around the world calls football, in VR.
Watch today's Liverpool vs Chelsea game in 4K and Dolby Atmos
Are you a soccer (football to the rest of the world) fan with a state-of-the-art home theater? If you answered "yes" to both of those questions and happen to be a BT Sport subscriber, today's match between Chelsea and Liverpool should be of special interest to you. That's because the network will broadcast the game in 4K UHD and Dolby Atmos, according to Dolby's Lab Notes blog.
DirecTV will show soccer in 4K this weekend
NBC Sports and AT&T are teaming up to offer the first live American broadcast of a Premier League match in ultra high-definition. In fact, two games will be pumped out in 4K this weekend, assuming you're a DirecTV subscriber with the right hardware. The first will be on Saturday, with Manchester City taking on Tottenham, while Sunday's game is Arsenal's deeply-exciting tussle with Burnley.
