Electronic Arts announced that it is launching a first-of-its-kind four-part reality competition that focuses on the video game publisher’s life simulation franchise The Sims. This series is made possible through a partnership with ELEAGUE, the esports and gaming entertainment brand of Turner Sports, along with Buzzfeed Multiplayer.
If that sounds rather confusing, let’s put it in simpler words. There’s going to be a reality show about people who play The Sims 4. It’s titled The Sims Spark’d and, according to the press release by EA, it’s going to redefine “reality competition by bringing creativity, storytelling and the community together in an entertaining new way.” In this competition, contestants are given “creative challenges to build the most unique characters, world and stories.”
Spark’d is going to make its debut on July 17 at 11:00 PM ET on TBS. After that, it’s going to be shown weekly on Fridays (July 24, July 31, August 7) at the same time. There’s also going to be encore telecasts aired on Saturdays (July 18, July 25, August 1, August 8) at 8:00 AM on the same network. Buzzfeed Multiplayer is also going to be streaming the episodes on the Mondays (July 20, July 27, August 3, August 10) after the show is televised.
This four-episode series has 12 players compete for a shot at the $100,000 prize. The show is going to be hosted by former American Idol finalist Rayvon Owen. Owen is going to be joined by three judges, who are:
- Kelsey Impicciche
- Kelsey is known as the first Buzzfeed Multiplayer YouTube personality, she is known for the #100babychallenge series she created with The Sims.
- Tayla Parx
- Tayla has done voice acting work and even sang her “Me vs Us” song for The Sims 4 Get Famous expansion pack.
- Dave Miotke
- Dave is known in the community as SimGuruNijas and works at Maxis, the studio behind The Sims franchise.
In the same press release executives of the different companies involved shared statements in relation to this new show. The Sims franchise GM Lyndsay Pearson said that since the beginning, “The Sims has been a groundbreaking experience, allowing players to create and virtually live out stories they create in-game.” This is what makes the upcoming show exciting as it continues that innovative spirit introduced by the game.
For Turner Sports Chief Content Officer Craig Barry, ELEAGUE has also been the destination when it comes to premium gaming content and this show is truly a perfect fit. He went on to say that they” look forward to this next phase of our partnership with EA as we showcase its popular Sims franchise on TBS.”
Finally, Buzzfeed Multiplayer Executive Producer Branden Smith said that they “are excited to introduce the highly-engaged Gen Z community of Buzzfeed Multiplayer to an inventive new form of storytelling within the imaginative world of The Sims.” By being able to partner with both EA and TBS, Smith said that this should allow Buzzfeed to be able to not only offer new experiences for its fans but to also “expand our core values by spreading an inclusive approach to gaming across platforms and screens.”
