Premier League Closes In On £488m Deal

The Premier League is closing in on a commercial deal with video-game developer Electronic Arts (EA), according to Sky News.

The report claims that the 20 Premier League clubs have been briefed on a new six-year partnership with EA Sports worth about £488m. The deal is ‘close to being finalised’ and set to be worth more than double the existing deal between the pair.

The agreement would see EA remain as the English football’s top division’s lead partner as well as retaining its exclusive electronic game licence.

News of the impending extension follows the collapse of EA’s long-standing relationship with world football’s governing body FIFA. Their 30-year relationship created the FIFA series, one of the most successful game franchises in the world.

The series of games bearing the FIFA name, and which feature teams and players from the world’s top leagues, is reportedly to be rebranded under the EA name. However, EA has signed deals with hundreds of teams and athletes, as well as more than 30 leagues, allowing it to retain real-world names and venues.

EA’s new deal with the Premier League will not include player image rights but will allow it to continue to sponsor the league’s Player of the Month award and also include the Premier League’s logos and league format within its games.

EA has a market value of about $30bn (£24.8bn) and has been a lead partner of the Premier League since 2016.