EA vs. FIFA: Will the partnership end after 30 years?
Publisher and game developer EA could do without the FIFA license for its soccer game series in the future. This is what EA CEO Andrew Wilson is said to have confided in his staff.
An earthquake is brewing after EA boss Andrew Wilson is said to have criticized the world soccer association FIFA in an internal meeting. Wilson is said to have sworn in his employees for a possible future without a FIFA license. The meeting took place last November, according to the magazine Videogamechronicle, which now brings the details from the meeting to light. Timing fits: EA itself had already thought aloud in October about a name change of the game series.
Specifically, according to the gaming magazine, Wilson is said to doubt the usefulness of the FIFA license: "Basically, what we get from FIFA in a non-World Cup year is the four letters on the front of the box." The cost of that, he said, is too high. EA doesn't get the rights to player names, looks, crests, kits, teams and stadiums through world football's governing body anyway, but through 300 other licensing deals, Wilson said.
But that is not said to be the only reason EA is considering ending a partnership that has existed since 1993.
FIFA wants more money, EA too
According to Videogamechronicle, Wilson said the publisher feels constrained by the FIFA license in terms of content. For example, the world football association has repeatedly prevented EA from implementing game modes beyond 11 vs. 11. FIFA also opposes "broader digital ecosystems" and prevents "the deeper integration of certain brands." Nike, for example, is blocked by a FIFA partnership with Adidas, he said.
In fact, the New York Times already reported on fractures in the relationship between EA and FIFA. Of particular interest is the financial size of the licensing package: the association collects $150 million per year from EA. The current ten-year contract is set to end in 2023, with a final "FIFA 23." For the continuation of the partnership, FIFA is now asking for double that amount.
EA doesn't even seem to think about paying so much for four letters. Also or just because said "digital ecosystems" prevent the publisher from opening up new markets and thus generating additional revenue. Thus, according to the New York Times report, EA is said to want to enter into advertising deals with leagues and brands, among others, to include highlights from real games or sell NFTs.
How EA wants to call the football game series, should it actually come to a break, is not known. However, the company registered the name "EA Sports FC" with the European Union Intellectual Property Office last October.
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