Electronic Arts has had firm control overFIFAfootball brand for a very long time. The firstFIFAgame was released in 1993, titledFIFA International Soccer, and was published by EA Sports. In the over 25 years since, EA has kept theFIFAlicense locked down, and in the process has made the best-selling sports video game franchise of all time. All empires come to an end, however, and theFIFAfranchise is facing a reckoning. A new statement from FIFA itself makes it clear that the exclusivity for EA is likely coming to an end.
In recent weeks, EA has made it publically known that its negotiations for continued exclusivity of theFIFAbrand are not going well.FIFA reportedly asked for over $1 billion across four yearsfor exclusive access to theFIFAbrand, said to be more than twice the current $150 million-per-year deal. With EA and FIFA’s 10-year deal ending after 2022’s World Cup in Qatar, a decision on the new deal needs to come soon, but if anything the two parties seem further apart than ever.
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Capturing the state of current negotiations, FIFA issued a public statement declaring its intent to “widen” its portfolio ofvideo games and esportsefforts. FIFA labeled itself as “bullish” regarding these future prospects, implying it’s already aggressively moving forward with its plans. If that wasn’t stated clearly enough, FIFA adds that it’s “clear that this needs to be a space that is occupied by more than one party controlling all rights.” In other words, FIFA wants to end the exclusivity of its branding.
As for what that means for EA’sFIFAfranchise, the impact likely isn’t as severe as some fans may fear. The most dramatic change that would go through if FIFA and EA don’t agree on a new deal would be the name of the series itself. It would no longer be EA’sFIFA, but instead something new. One possiblealternative name being floated by EA isEA Sports FC. As for player names and likenesses, EA has already made a long-term deal with FIFPro, which handles licensing for over 65,000 football players worldwide.
What FIFA’s decision could mean long-term could mean only relatively small changes for EA’s game, it opens up all manner of possibilities regarding EA’s competition. With the ability to license theFIFAbrand, it’s possible that competitors including2K Sports, Sony, or Microsoft could join the lucrative football game market. And if FIFA is seriously considering partnering with mobile developers, Activision’s King, Tencent’s Supercell, or even Niantic can be added to the list.
Speculating on the topic may be fun, but there are still months left before any conclusions can be drawn. The statement from FIFA and EA’s consideration of new titles for its football game could simply be a very public part of ongoing negotiations between the two parties. In 2022, EA could very well still have theexclusiveFIFAlicense, andFIFA 23will arrive on schedule. Or, 2023 may be the first year yet with multipleFIFAfootball games from different publishers.
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