Electronic Arts to Create Fan-First Future of Interactive Football with EA SPORTS FC™

Rhea-AI Summary

Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) has announced the launch of EA SPORTS FC in 2023, transitioning from its long-standing FIFA branding. This new platform aims to deliver an immersive football experience, partnering with over 300 licensing entities, featuring 19,000+ athletes across 700 teams and 100 stadiums worldwide. EA SPORTS FC will expand its reach to a broader audience, building on a foundation of inclusivity around women’s and grassroots football. Current EA SPORTS FIFA games remain unaffected by this change, which includes a final expansive FIFA game release later this fall.

Positive

• Launch of EA SPORTS FC brand enhances global football game experience.
• Partnership with 300+ licensing entities bolsters content diversity.
• Access to over 19,000 athletes and multiple leagues supports market competitiveness.
• Plans to innovate in women's and grassroots football engage a wider community.
• Current EA SPORTS FIFA games to continue unaffected, ensuring stability.

Negative

• None.

EA SPORTS Continues Collaboration with 300+ Licensing Partners Across the Sport to Build the Biggest Football Club in the World

A New Era Begins in 2023 - After EA SPORTS Delivers The Most Expansive FIFA Ever This Year

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today, Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) announced its world-famous football games will move forward under a new EA SPORTS FC™ brand in 2023. The move will enable EA to deliver the world’s biggest interactive sports experience for its growing community in collaboration with 300+ partners across the world of football.

Photo Credit: EA SPORTS

EA SPORTS FC will be the platform for EA to innovate, create, and grow new experiences. It will bring more areas of the sport to life, and harness the collective strength of more than 150 million players across EA SPORTS’ global football games - and reach hundreds of millions of new fans in the years to come.

“Our vision for EA SPORTS FC is to create the largest and most impactful football club in the world, at the epicenter of football fandom,” said Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson. “For nearly 30 years, we’ve been building the world’s biggest football community - with hundreds of millions of players, thousands of athlete partners, and hundreds of leagues, federations, and teams. EA SPORTS FC will be the club for every one of them, and for football fans everywhere.”

EA SPORTS FC brings the strength of more than 300 individual licensed partners, giving players access to more than 19,000 athletes across 700 teams, in 100 stadiums and over 30 leagues around the world. Through EA SPORTS FC, EA will further grow the reach and power of its football licensing portfolio by retaining and expanding the licensed football content, scaling to new experiences, and increasing access through more platforms. EA will also build on a foundation of inclusivity and innovate in new areas around both women’s and grassroots football for the global community.

The introduction of EA SPORTS FC will not impact any current EA SPORTS global football games, and EA and FIFA are excited to deliver the greatest, most expansive EA SPORTS™ FIFA ever later this fall. Our final FIFA product will also include more game modes, features, teams, leagues, players, and competitions than any previous edition. Fans will be able to experience these innovations across the full EA SPORTS FIFA ecosystem including FIFA Mobile, FIFA Online 4, and eSports.

Wilson continued: “We’re thankful for our many years of great partnership with FIFA. The future of global football is very bright, and fandom around the world has never been stronger. We have an incredible opportunity to put EA SPORTS FC at the heart of the sport, and to bring even more innovative and authentic experiences to the growing football audience.”

EA has developed the most extensive and comprehensive network of partnerships and licenses in the sport - all in the name of delivering a truly immersive experience to fans everywhere. EA SPORTS FC will be the only place fans can play in the iconic UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, CONMEBOL Libertadores, Premier League, Bundesliga, LaLiga, Serie A, and MLS, among many others. The breadth and depth of EA’s ecosystem of licensed content will enable it to offer unrivaled authenticity in EA SPORTS football games, now and for many years to come.

More information on EA SPORTS FC will be made available in Summer 2023.

Partner Quotes

Premier League
“EA SPORTS is a long-term and valued partner of the Premier League, and we look forward to continuing to work together in the new era of EA SPORTS FC.” -Richard Masters, Premier League Chief Executive

LaLiga
“EA SPORTS represents the pinnacle of interactive football experiences today and for the future, and we’re honored to continue working with them, as we have for more than 20 years,” said Javier Tebas, President of LaLiga. “We are committed to partnering with EA SPORTS FC to provide an innovative and authentic experience and to grow the love of football together, around the world and for years to come.”

Bundesliga
“We have an outstanding partnership with EA,” said Bundesliga CEO Donata Hopfen. “EA SPORTS is an established and valuable part of the football world, and we’re excited about everything that is to come as a result of our innovative partnership. We look forward to seeing Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 incorporated into EA SPORTS FC.”

UEFA
“With a shared commitment to serve football fans around the world, we look forward to our continued partnership with EA SPORTS FC to provide players with authentic in-game experiences featuring the club competitions they love.” -Guy-Laurent Epstein, Director of Marketing, UEFA

CONMEBOL
“Connecting football fans to their favorite clubs, players, competitions, and fellow fans through digital experiences is paramount to the future of football fandom, and we are delighted to partner with EA SPORTS FC to provide these immersive experiences to fans across the world.” -Juan Emilio Roa, Marketing and Commercial Director, CONMEBOL

NIKE
“We are excited to continue and expand our long partnership with EA SPORTS as we serve athletes at the intersection of sport, gaming and culture,” said DJ van Hameren, EVP & CMO, NIKE Inc. “Our partnership with EA SPORTS FC will authentically grow the ways our communities can play and engage with sport.”

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220509006278/en/

Eric Escaravage

Global Public Relations Lead, EA SPORTS FIFA

M: +1 (604) 319-3533

eescaravage@ea.com

Source: Electronic Arts Inc.

FAQ

What is EA's new football game brand for 2023?

EA's new football game brand for 2023 is EA SPORTS FC.

How many licensing partners does EA SPORTS collaborate with?

EA SPORTS collaborates with over 300 licensing partners worldwide.

What features can players expect from EA SPORTS FC?

Players can expect access to over 19,000 athletes, 700 teams, and 100 stadiums in EA SPORTS FC.

Will current EA SPORTS FIFA games be affected by the rebranding?

No, the transition to EA SPORTS FC will not impact current EA SPORTS FIFA games.

What innovations will EA SPORTS FC bring for women's football?

EA SPORTS FC aims to innovate and expand inclusivity in women's and grassroots football.