#7 ⚽ Peter Moore on the Future of Gaming, Sports, and Global Fandom

Plus you’re invited to join the SportsTechX Hub & Panel at PEAK 2026

October 29, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

Interviews, articles, events, and everything else Featured by SportsTechX.

Back after a long break, this week we’re diving into how gaming and traditional sport are converging. Featuring Peter Moore, former CEO of Liverpool FC and ex-COO of EA Sports, we explore how video games went from niche entertainment to cultural powerhouse, and what that means for the next wave of sports innovation.

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MEET TODAY’S GUEST

Peter Moore: Ex-CEO, Liverpool FC, Owner, Santa Barbara Sky FC

Peter most recently served as SVP/GM of Sports and Live Entertainment at Unity Technologies. He was previously at Liverpool FC as CEO. He was named Premier League CEO of the Year in Nov 2019. Prior to that, Peter served as COO of EA. He has more than 35 years of experience in gaming, entertainment and consumer products. He has also held leadership positions in Microsoft and Reebok.

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Digital Evolution of Sports with Peter Moore #246

Last month, Peter Moore joined SportsTechX live from Riyadh, a city now positioning itself at the center of global esports. With experience spanning Xbox, EA Sports, and Liverpool FC, Peter has seen firsthand how gaming has evolved from a misunderstood hobby to one of the most powerful storytelling engines on the planet.

Here’s a crash course on the evolution of gaming, the blurring lines with traditional sport, and why emotional connection still drives everything.

How did gaming earn respect as a global industry?

When Peter joined the industry in the late 90s, gaming was still “boys in their bedrooms.” Back then, society saw it as a problem, not a culture.

  • Over time, better tech, faster internet, and richer storytelling pulled games into the mainstream.

  • Gaming went from being blamed for violence to being recognized as skill-building and social and now sits at the heart of entertainment.

Today, the people running governments grew up with consoles,” Peter says. “They’re gamers too.”

What can gaming and sports learn from each other?

The crossover, Peter says, has always been there. At EA Sports, the now-famous Ultimate Team mode showed that virtual fandom could fuel real-world loyalty.

  • Kids who picked Liverpool or Barcelona in-game became actual fans of those clubs.

  • Through gameplay, they learned strategy, formations, and economics - a new kind of sports education.

  • In return, traditional sports learned to borrow gaming’s agility with constant updates, digital engagement, and global reach.

The gateway drug to real sports was video games”

Why is Saudi Arabia suddenly central to this story?

Saudi is the first country to make esports a national strategy.
During the NGSC event, Peter spoke with local leaders about how gaming fits into their broader plan for tourism, youth, and innovation.

- 63% of the population is under 30 - digital natives who’ve grown up on FIFA.

- Saudi consistently ranked among the top three countries in global EA Sports FC engagement.

“It’s revolutionary,” he says. “They’ve recognized gaming as a strategic industry, not just entertainment.”

It’s a powerful reminder that culture, demographics, and capital now move together.

How do clubs balance local loyalty with global expansion?

At Liverpool, Peter coined a phrase that guided their approach: “Local heart, global pulse.”

  • The club introduced £9 local tickets to keep access for fans with an L-postcode.

  • At the same time, Liverpool embraced its international following, recognizing that growth came from television and digital reach.

  • That balance between heritage and scale remains one of the hardest challenges in sports business.

It’s a working-class city, but also a global symbol. The trick is to protect both.”

What’s driving the next wave of investment in sport?

Money is flowing into sport and gaming from all directions like private equity, institutional funds, and corporate giants. That’s both opportunity and risk.

  • Sports IPs are becoming more valuable, but fan sentiment is fragile.

  • The key, Peter explains, is to grow new revenue streams (media, tech, fan data) without pricing out the loyal base.

  • And with so much attention on sports innovation from AI analytics to women’s leagues, the future of fandom looks increasingly digital.

For all the data, deals, and digital strategy, Peter insists: the core hasn’t changed.

“Nothing fires up the gut like sports does.”

90 minutes of shared emotion can cut through anything else happening in life. It’s universal. No commentary needed, no language barriers.

That emotional gravity, he says, is why sport will always endure, regardless the medium.

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