It’s always exciting when we start the week with a good rumour, or as we say it in the gaming world, a “report”. Today’s dose of things-you-might-want-to-get-excited-about-but-also-might-not, EA Sports is reportedly on the verge of signing a new six-year deal with the English Premier League worth a whopping £488 million, or R10 538 320 960,00 if you’d prefer.
According to Sky Sports, various clubs were briefed on the deal on Friday. The partnership is expected to bring in more than £80 million annually if signed. In return, EA will retain the rights to some of the most popular teams in the world, including Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool.
If true, this deal shines some light on the powerhouse that the English Premier League has become, in no small part thanks to its lucrative television deals. The English Premier League’s international brand recognition makes the organisation a significant catch for EA, who recently rebranded after severing ties with FIFA.
While the FIFA series, now known as EA Sports FC, has been EA’s most popular franchise and has raked in billions thanks to the heavily-monetised FIFA Ultimate Team mode, EA feels like this new rebrand and the lack of licensing restrictions will offer the series more creative freedom and ultimately, more money.
Fans and sceptics will need to wait for EA Sports FC to officially launch later this year to see how this all plays out.