EA Sports signs multi-year deal with Juventus as FIFA franchise draws to a close

July 25 - Juventus return to EA Sports' FIFA games for the FIFA 23 edition, leaving rival Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer video game, where the club has been exclusive for three years.

The multi-year deal will begin with FIFA 23 launching on September 30, but will continue beyond FIFA once EA Sports' licensing agreement for the FIFA brand ends. EA's renamed game will be called EA Sports FC.

EA Sports becomes the exclusive sports video game partner of Juventus, with in-game integration that will include Juventus' Allianz Stadium, as well as the club's logo and kits.

The partners also announced that they would work together outside the game on "a number of cultural and lifestyle initiatives providing new opportunities outside of football".

"We are delighted to reaffirm our deep commitment to Italian football through this exclusive partnership with Juventus," said David Jackson, Vice President of Brand for EA Sports FIFA.

"This phenomenal club means a lot to us and our fans and will allow EA SPORTS to continue to deliver the most authentic and comprehensive interactive football experiences possible in FIFA 23 and beyond."

EA Sports has 300 individual licensed partners, giving gamers access to more than 19,000 athletes across 700 teams, 100 stadiums and more than 30 leagues around the world. FIFA 23 provides a video game environment for the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League, Premier League, Bundesliga, LaLiga Santander, Conmebol Libertadores and Conmebol Sudamericana.

Giorgio Ricci, revenue director of Juventus. "The partnership with EA Sports goes beyond the concept of traditional partnership, together in the common project of looking to the future, talking to new generations, riding the wave of new trends, urban culture and lifestyle . We chose EA Sports to go further because it is a partner who shares our vision and our ambition. We are happy to take this journey with a brand that stands out for its originality, uniqueness and innovation, as Juventus do. »

Ricci's comments reflect EA Sports' dominant power in the football video game market and its overall consumer reach. Following the falling out with FIFA over the failed agreement on new licensing terms, FIFA said it will work with other developers on licensed games in the future.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: "I can assure you that the only real authentic game bearing the FIFA name will be the best available to football players and fans. The FIFA name is the only global and original title...the constant is the name of FIFA, and it will forever stand and remain the best."

EA Sports will be very quick to point out that FIFA did not build or invest in the title, they did, and paid FIFA generously for the use of their logo and name. Now FIFA says it will create its own game titles.

But realistically, despite Infantino's world-conquering comments, FIFA doesn't have the biggest boots in this game and probably won't have the money to buy them.

In 2021, EA Sports reported net revenue of $5.6 billion. FIFA's revenue for the same period was $776.5 million. So not only is FIFA a financially smaller organization than EA Sports, but they also have to spend their money on a wide range of footballing activities – video games probably shouldn't count in that regard. EA Sports, on the other hand, is only interested in video games and has a lot more money to invest in doing so. And has the data and custom of 30 years of operating the FIFA franchise.

FIFA's falling out with EA Sports is looking increasingly like a colossal bad deal for the world governing body.

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