Milan, 30 December 2024 - After the success of the first edition, the Kings League has finally landed in Italy too, ready to amaze for its innovative format (born from an idea of former Spanish footballer Gerard Piquè), for the many protagonists involved (it is played with the 7-a-side football formula), but above all for the spectacular plays of the athletes on the field (former football stars, influencers and youtubers). After the presentation event and the Draft at the beginning of January (involving the cities of Milan and Turin) the World Cup will be staged, while the first Italian Kings League championship will start at the end of January and in February. 

EMG Italy, part of the EMG / Gravity Media group, a leading provider of broadcast and media production services at national and international level), will provide all broadcast services on these occasions, including live coverage of the matches, streaming distribution, and the supply of materials and professionals for the success of the events. 

The final at the Allianz Stadium in Turin. The first match of the Kings World Cup Nations will take place on Wednesday 1 January 2025 at 16:00 at the Kings League Arena in Milan. Italy will make its debut in the opening match against Japan. Following this, from 17:00 and with one match every hour until 19:00, the other three matches of the day will be played: Uzbekistan-Saudi Arabia, Argentina-Spain and United States-Mexico.

The following day, on Thursday 2 January, the remaining national teams will take the stage at the same times, scheduled as follows: at 16:00 Brazil-South Korea, at 17:00 Turkey-Ukraine, at 18:00 Colombia-Morocco and in closing at 19:00 Peru-Germany. The event will then continue with all subsequent matches, based on the results of the first competitions: with subsequent events scheduled for 3 and 4 January. 

It will then resume on Epiphany with the so-called ‘knockout stage draw’, where the pairings will be made for the ‘last chance’ challenges, which will also continue the following day, before making way for the quarterfinals on 8 and 9 January. 

The final instead, scheduled at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, will be on Sunday 12 January at 18:00. And, on this occasion, the first Kings World Cup Nations in the history of this sport-entertainment format will be awarded. 

EMG Italy's commitment. EMG Italy will provide, on the basis of a multi-year agreement, all broadcast services (project consultancy and set-up, means, crew and technological equipment). Specifically, the live coverage and streaming distribution of Kings League Italy (for a total of 26 match days) is foreseen. In addition, there will also be live coverage and production of the streaming of the ‘Kings World Cup Nations’ for the 2025 season. In addition, at the debut of this new partnership, EMG Italy produced live coverage of the Kings League Italy Draft presentation evening and the Kings World Cup Nations draw (held at the Teatro Regio in Turin on 5 December).

Inside the Kings League Arena at the ‘Vismara Fondazione Don Gnocchi’ centre in Milan, the venue of the event, a crew of about 40 people will be employed, with a strong focus on the technological part of the project (in particular the lighting/led set), with the aim of enriching the experience of playing and watching the matches, both for the spectators present and those connected.

‘We have embraced this project, which is already revolutionising the world of football thanks to a perfect mix of entertainment and innovation, because it promises to always capture the attention of the Italian public. The Kings League aims to create a different experience compared to traditional football (based on creative rules and a unique format) and for this reason it has already won thousands of fans abroad,’ said Claudio Cavallotti, Managing Director of EMG Italy. ‘We will bring with us the experience gained over the years in the production of the most important national and international sports events. At the same time, we believe we can engage viewers in a new live experience, contributing concretely to the success of the Kings League in our country'.