French esports club Team Vitality is considering an expansion into traditional sports. According to the French newspaper Le Parisien on August 26, the Vitality group is in talks with the current shareholders of the volleyball club Paris Volley to acquire a majority stake.
Paris Volley is one of the most prominent representatives of France's first division. Since 2000, the team has won the national championship nine times, and in 2001, it became the first French club to win the men's CEV Champions League. Despite these achievements, the organization has been facing prolonged financial difficulties. In 2018, following its relegation, the club narrowly avoided disappearing and was saved only by new investors. It is reported that some players have also not received their full salaries this season.
Representatives of Team Vitality declined to comment on the negotiations when contacted by the Sheep Esports portal. However, the esports club already has significant experience integrating into traditional sports:
- Partnerships with football clubs: In 2025, the organization partnered with Paris Saint-Germain for the eLigue 1 tournament (EA Sports FC), and previously collaborated with FC Lille and Dijon.
- Involvement of traditional athletes: Canoeists Matthieu Peche and Gauthier Klauss, as well as tennis player Thierry Ascione, have joined the team.
- Sports infrastructure: Since 2019, Team Vitality has been a resident club at the Stade de France arena, where part of its offices are located.
The interest of esports organizations in traditional sports is gradually growing. In 2025, the newspaper L'Equipe reported that Vitality's main domestic competitor, Karmine Corp, was in talks with the fourth-division basketball team RAC Basket regarding the launch of their own basketball roster. However, there have been no further updates on the development of this project since then.
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