FIFA have announced that they intend to end their iconic partnership with sports game maker EA Sports.
The current agreement between is set to expire at the end of 2022. FIFA are said to be looking for a significant increase in its rights fee which has caused talks of renewing their partnership to turn sour.
In a statement issued by FIFA they mention reassessing their approach to esports and the gaming industry at large.
“Gaming and eSports are the fastest-growing media verticals on the planet, with new and diverse types of games launching continuously,” it wrote. “It is therefore of crucial importance for FIFA and its stakeholders to maximise all future opportunities for football and gaming fans,”
They continued saying, “FIFA is bullish and excited about the future in gaming and esports for football, and it is clear that this needs to be a space that is occupied by more than one party controlling all rights.”
The break up will see the end of a near 30 year partnership between the two parties, which has seen the FIFA gaming title become the most popular sports game in history, selling approximately 260 million copies to date.
Technology and mobile companies are now actively competing to be associated with FIFA, its platforms, and global tournaments. Consequently, FIFA is engaging with various industry players, including developers, investors and analysts, to build out a long-term view of the gaming, esports and interactive entertainment sector.”
EA Sports general manager Cam Weber revealed that the company is “exploring the idea of renaming our global EA Sports football games,” and the developer has since registered a trademark for “EA Sports FC.”
