While FIFA tournaments have always been a popular ad-hoc activity among gaming communities, a new startup is hoping to add a social component and turn these tournaments into an actual business.
Founded in New York City, Player’s Lounge (which won June 2nd’s TC Radio Pitch-Off) is a social gaming platform that hosts in-person video game leagues at bars across NYC.
The company partners with bars on low traffic nights (replacing activities like Quizzo or Bingo) and brings in anywhere from 30 to 50 players to participate either in a one-night tournament or weekly gaming league.
After paying an entry fee, players will compete in anywhere from two to four games a night and socialize in between matches with food and drinks. Player’s Lounge also has an online platform, which allows players to sign up for tournaments and view leaderboards and rankings.
The company has already held sponsored events for both EA Sports and Anheuser-Busch, and is looking to expand nationwide via a possible franchise model in different cities across the U.S. and Europe.
While the only current offering is FIFA, Player’s Lounge says it will soon expand into different game choices and genres to accommodate different types of fans.
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