Digital Football Capitalism
The Political Economy of EA FC and the Virtual Bundesliga
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32387/prokla.v55i221.2215Keywords:
Computer Games, Digital Capitalism, Electronic Arts, FIFA, Football, Virtual BundesligaAbstract
The article analyzes the political economy of football video games using the example of EA FC and the Virtual Bundesliga. It shows how the shift from initial resistance by organized football to the mandatory integration of eFootball is an expression of »digital football capitalism.« Key features include monetization through live services, platformization, and monopolization by Electronic Arts. The VBL, as the DFL’s third competition, serves as a link between analog and digital soccer—but under the power conditions of private-sector platform structures.
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