The Sims Is Getting a Reality Competition Show

Electronic Arts, in partnership with Turner Sports' ELEAGUE and BuzzFeed Multiplayer, today announced The Sims Spark'd, a new reality competition series taking place within The Sims 4. Contestants will be required to complete building challenges involving "the most unique characters, worlds and stories" for the chance to win $100,000. The four-episode series is scheduled to air later this month on TBS with episodes streaming digitally via BuzzFeed Multiplayer after the fact.

Former American Idol finalist Rayvon Owen is set to host The Sims Spark'd. Owen is joined by three judges, BuzzFeed Multiplayer's Kelsey Impicciche, singer-songwriter Tayla Parx, and Maxis game developer Dave Miotke. The show will feature 12 contestants, who will be revealed in full when the first episode airs on Friday, July 17th.

The Sims Spark'd is redefining reality competition!! Spark'd is a brand new show where Simmers take on challenges to create unique characters, amazing builds, and compelling stories in the hopes of impressing the judges! https://t.co/zb5lavPXWV #TheSimsSparkd pic.twitter.com/dELZQ6UdWr

— The Sims (@TheSims) July 8, 2020

"Since its inception, The Sims has been a groundbreaking experience, allowing players to create and virtually live out the stories they create in-game. That's what makes it so special," said Lyndsay Pearson, GM of The Sims franchise, as part of the announcement. "That's also why this show is so exciting. We're continuing that innovative spirit, bringing our community together to compete and showcase their in-game storytelling on a reality show in an entirely new way."

"ELEAGUE has become a destination for premium gaming content and The Sims Spark'd fits perfectly with our focus on gaming lifestyle and culture programming," said Craig Barry, Chief Content Officer, Turner Sports. "We look forward to this next phase of our partnership with EA as we showcase its popular Sims franchise on TBS."

The Sims Spark'd is scheduled to debut Friday, July 17th, at 11PM ET/8PM PT on TBS. Future episodes will air the following three Fridays with encore airings on Saturdays. BuzzFeed Multiplayer will then stream episodes the following Mondays after initial airing. You can check out all of our previous coverage of The Sims franchise right here.

What do you think about what we've seen of The Sims Spark'd so far? Are you excited to watch the show later this month? Let me know in the comments, or hit me up directly on Twitter at @rollinbishop to talk all things gaming!