Reality show to find next Beckham or Ronaldo

A new reality television show along the lines of hit singing series American Idol is to be launched to find the next global football superstar.

Titled “SportStar Football,” the show will be a worldwide hunt for the next big thing in soccer, organisers said Thursday.

The concept is the brainchild of David Edwards, who was behind “RockStar: INXS,” the search for a new lead singer for the Australian band whose former frontman Michael Hutchence committed suicide.

ESPN STAR Sports and Imagine OmniMedia will work together to develop, produce and broadcast what they tout as the first reality-based football entertainment series in Asia.

“We are committed to serving our fans by providing them unique opportunities to engage with their favourite sports across platforms,” said ESPN STAR Sports managing director Manu Sawhney.

“With this interactive and entertaining initiative, football fans will have a lot more to look forward to in days to come.”

No details of a launch date, nor how the series would be structured, were announced.