IOC Dives Into Esports & Gaming With The Olympic Virtual Series

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has plunged into esports and gaming by launching the Olympic Virtual Series (OVS).

Five international sports federations and game publishers are partnering with the IOC to produce the OVS, which will be the first-ever Olympic-licensed event for physical and non-physical virtual sports.

The federations joining the initiative are the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), the International Cycling Union (UCI), World Rowing, World Sailing, and the International Automobile Federation (FIA).

The gaming platforms poised to be used for the OVS include eBaseball Powerful Pro Baseball 2020, Zwift, Virtua Regatta and Gran Turismo. World Rowing is listed as having an open format.

All five OVS events will differ in form and concept, and will operate via the sport’s respective publisher platform. Viewers can follow the action on the Olympic Channel. Additional information on how to participate, as well as prizes for selected events, will be announced soon.

The OVS, which is being billed as a ‘mass participation series’, will begin on May 13 and conclude on June 23, with the goal of engaging new global audiences and generating buzz ahead of the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympics later this summer.

The IOC said that the series will encourage ‘the development of physical and non-physical forms of sports’ in line with the recommendations of the Olympic Agenda 2020+5.

More federations could also be set to join the OVS at a later date. The IOC said Fifa, soccer’s global governing body, the International Basketball Federation (Fiba), the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and World Taekwondo (WT) are committed to ‘exploring inclusion’ in future editions.

“The Olympic Virtual Series is a new, unique Olympic digital experience that aims to grow direct engagement with new audiences in the field of virtual sports. Its conception is in line with Olympic Agenda 2020+5 and the IOC’s digital strategy,” said IOC president Thomas Bach.

“It encourages sports participation and promotes the Olympic values, with a special focus on youth.”

David Lappartient, chair of the IOC’s esports and gaming liaison group (ELG), and president of the UCI, added: “On behalf of the ELG, as well as the UCI, I am delighted to be involved in the launch of the first-ever Olympic Virtual Series.

“A number of IFs have well established virtual sports initiatives; and thanks to the cooperation between the IOC, the IFs and the publishers, the OVS is an exciting step forward for the virtual sports world and the Olympic Movement”.