The Premier League and Electronic Arts are reportedly nearing an extension doubling the rights fees paid under the current deal.
The league’s 20 clubs were briefed last week on a six-year extension worth nearly $600 million, Sky News reported on Friday. The Premier League will receive $97 million annually — nearly $5 million per team — over the course of the yet-to-be-announced deal.
“FIFA” has been part of the game’s branding since EA released its first console soccer game on the Sega Genesis in 1993, but announced it was ending its exclusive deal with EA in May.
But despite FIFA’s withdrawal, EA has now made deals with more than 300 partners spanning more than 700 teams and about 19,000 athletes.
- EA and MLS — partners since 1999 — extended their current deal in August.
- Also in August, La Liga and EA agreed to a five-year deal worth a reported $30.5 million annually.
- In 2021, EA agreed to an extension with UEFA that came with the exclusive rights to the UEFA Champions League.
The title, which will now be called “EA Sports FC,” has racked up more than $20 billion in sales over the last 20 years.
Ongoing Partnership
EA clearly wants its commercial relationship with the Premier League — which dates back to 1998 — to endure.
“We’re proud to have a long-standing partnership with the Premier League and its clubs, and appreciate their support in our plans for ‘EA Sports FC’,” EA Sports said in a statement.
