English Referees Sign EA Sports Partnership
EA Sports has agreed a new long-term sponsorship deal with Professional Game Match Officials Limited, the referees’ association for professional football in England.
The video game publisher, best known for its popular long-running FIFA series, will be the principal partner of the association until the end of the 2018/19 season with its logo appearing on the sleeve of all match officials during fixtures in all competitions.
The new logo debuted last night in Manchester City’s 3-0 win over West Ham in the Capital One Cup semi-final second leg, which saw the favourites advance to the final by a record 9-0 scoreline.
Branding will also appear on training wear and on accreditation and promotional materials, including the PGMOL website.
Mike Riley, the general manager of PGMOL and former Premier League referee, said of the deal: ‘We are very excited to have secured this long-term arrangement with EA Sports. They are a great fit for PGMOL given their deep connection with football. This is also good for the long-term development of refereeing in this country as it ensures we can continue to invest significantly in the training and development of officials at all levels of the game.’
David Rutter, the executive producer of EA Sports’ FIFA series, added: ‘This is an exciting new partnership for EA Sports and our millions of fans. Our FIFA games are built on connection to the real world of football, and having the top-tier referees and officials carrying the EA Sports brand into matches each season is a great extension of this connection.’
