FIFA has suggested it’s open to working with new video game companies, as tension mounts with EA Sports regarding future licensing agreements.
EA Sports recently published a forward-looking press release celebrating FIFA 22 that included the shocking admission that it was considering renaming the long-running series, which was followed by reports that talks with the sport’s governing body had stalled.
EA is considering renaming the FIFA series. If it did, it would end an almost three decade association between EA Sports and the international football organization. https://t.co/NAdfasMxjl pic.twitter.com/4dGj8utHCX
— IGN (@IGN) October 7, 2021
FIFA responded: “FIFA will adopt a new commercial positioning in gaming and eSports to ensure that it is best placed to make decisions that benefit all football stakeholders.
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,” FIFA said in the announcement.
FIFA says it will widen its gaming and e-sports portfolio to ensure controlling rights don’t lie with a single party https://t.co/n3dAB2Gjyx
— Gadgets 360 (@Gadgets360) October 18, 2021
On the face of it, it appears like both companies feel they can do better with a football video game if they are no longer partnered with each other on an exclusive basis.
In this sense, Electronic Arts will no longer be the only developer who will have the rights on FIFA video games for your titles, so FIFA, as we know it, would cease.
A new report in the @nytimes states that the dispute between EA and FIFA is related to cost and new revenue streams
FIFA wants to charge EA double the amount ($1bn+ every 4 years) for the license and limit EA’s ability to monetise beyond the game itselfhttps://t.co/5gNas9Iz9b pic.twitter.com/hZ9YnOZDMN
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) October 13, 2021
It’s not entirely clear what issues are at the core of the disagreement, though FIFA is reportedly looking to double the cost of its licensing fees – $1bn every four years – while EA is looking to expand the use of the license itself to video game tournaments, NFTs and other digital products.
EA Sports has long dominated the digital football scene with its FIFA franchise. Competitors like eFootball, formerly known as Pro Evolution Soccer, have paled in comparison for years.
With the current 10-year licensing agreement ending after the 2022 World Cup, though, it is expected that a resolution will be found over the next few months.
