The National Football League has partnered with Epic Games to bring NFL team outfits to Fortnite. All 32 NFL team outfits will be available for purchase in Fortnite’s Battle Royale Item Shop starting Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. ET.
Fortnite users can select a uniform representing any of the league’s 32 teams for their in-game character to wear during gameplay, paid for through Fortnite’s in-game currency system. Users can customize their jersey with any number from 1 to 99 and the outfits include both male and female figures. Names will not be included on the back of jerseys.
“We see the popularity of Fortnite every day at the NFL as many of our players are passionate about this game,” said Brian Rolapp, Chief Media and Business Officer at the NFL, in the press release. “This partnership represents a great opportunity for millions of NFL fans who are Fortnite players to express their fandom inside the game while at the same time exposing our brand to countless others.”
This agreement with the NFL marks the first time that Epic Games, the creators of Fortnite, have partnered with another company to integrate outfits into the extremely popular video game. Fortnite will also add football-themed dances, harvesting tools that resemble goal posts, football-themed gliders, and an NFL referee outfit.
“We have so many football fans at Epic and we know a lot of the game’s fans share that same enthusiasm,” said Mark Rein, co-founder of Epic Games, in the press release. “Allowing our players to represent their favorite teams in the game was too cool of an opportunity for us to pass up, and we couldn’t be happier with how they turned out!”
SportTechie Takeaway
Through this partnership, the NFL is attempting to market its brand directly to users inside what is perhaps the world’s most popular video game. Fortnite is largely played by a younger audience, but the game is popular even among older gamers, as evidenced by several MLB players breaking out into Fortnite-themed celebrations during actual baseball games. The MLBPA also signed a deal earlier this year to field a professional Fortnite esports team featuring big league players.