By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
Electronic Arts has entered into an expansive, multi-year partnership with LaLiga, the premier league for professional football in Spain.
Starting in the 2023/2024 season, the partnership between EA SPORTS FC and LaLiga will include title naming rights for all LaLiga competitions, a complete rebrand of LaLiga with EA SPORTS including all logos, graphics, fonts and other visual elements, while also delivering new in-game integration, broadcast highlights, and joint commitments to supporting grassroots initiatives.
“EA SPORTS represents the cutting edge of interactive football experiences while LaLiga is at the forefront of actual football competitions with unmatched in-person, broadcast and digital fan experiences,” said Javier Tebas, President, LaLiga. “We have been strategic partners with EA SPORTS for years and this expanded agreement is a commitment to providing the next level of innovation to all football fans, a fusion between the virtual and real worlds of football.”
This new partnership will encompass the first and second divisions of LaLiga (Spain’s top professional football competitions), LaLiga Promises (the league’s annual youth tournament) and eLaLiga.
These types of partnerships have skyrocketed in importance for EA SPORTS, after Electronic Arts and the global football organization FIFA announced an ‘amicable divorce’, ending their long licensing partnership.
As a result, EA is moving forward with a new brand called EA SPORTS FC, and is signing more expansive deals with the world’s elite football leagues, such as its recent signing with Germany’s Bundesliga and now Spain’s LaLiga.
“EA SPORTS FC is committed to delivering the most authentic and immersive experiences in global football. Our innovative new partnership with LaLiga further elevates that ambition and solidifies both organizations’ position at the centre of football culture,” said David Jackson, VP Brand, EA SPORTS FC. “The visible reach and scale of this partnership is deeply exciting, as is the opportunity to deliver incredible experiences for fans through in-game innovation, interactive entertainment and grassroots initiatives.”
Jackson says fans have been able to play with their favourite LaLiga teams, players, and stadiums within EA SPORTS’ football ecosystem. With this partnership, he explains, EA SPORTS and LaLiga will deepen their collaboration. In addition to the naming rights partnership, fans will experience the benefit through technology, gameplay enhancements and development, and real-world football highlights.
Both LaLiga and EA SPORTS are committed to grassroots initiatives to grow the game which will include increasing accessibility, upgrading facilities, and many more initiatives to truly immerse fans into the world of football.
“This partnership with EA SPORTS is set to truly transform the way football is enjoyed around the world,” said Óscar Mayo, Executive Director, LaLiga. “Moreover the alliance demonstrates LaLiga is a global brand, evidence of the success of our league to connect with fans internationally.”
“We’re thrilled to partner with a worldwide leader in football fandom to better connect our fans to their favourite clubs, players, and LaLiga competitions,” added Nick Wlodyka, SVP & GM, EA SPORTS FC. “The contributions from LaLiga to our EA SPORTS FC portfolio will be immense, not only from a visual aspect, but across technological and game development improvements, further blurring the lines between the real and virtual worlds of football.”
More details of the partnership will be shared in the coming months, with information on EA SPORTS FC products being made available in Summer 2023.
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