EA is investing heavily in sports games when paying hundreds of millions of dollars for the rights to the English Premier League.
According to Kotaku , the key factor for sports games to survive in the market for a long time is the issue of copyright. Not because the games have better content, but because they are paid to be the only games that can provide players with the most realistic teams and leagues. That’s why EA’s FIFA (currently EA Sports FC) was able to crush Konami’s PES.
Therefore, it is not surprising that the amount associated with copyright is always sky-high. Recently, a leaked source has provided a more intuitive view of the huge amount of money that EA has to pay to maintain their football games.
According to a report from Sky Sports, a deal between EA and the Premier League worth around £488 million ($578 million) is nearing completion, paving the way for a new six-year partnership between the two sides. If the terms are completed, the number EA has to pay for the English Premier League rights will reach 588 million USD. According to FIFA 23’s website, upon completion of the deal, EA will have the following perks:
“EA SPORTS FIFA 23 is the only place where players can experience the competition, energy, and excitement of the world’s most famous tournament. Featuring all 20 Premier League clubs, kits, and logos. Their 2022/23. In addition to the broadcast as well as commentary, making the game the most authentic representation of the tournament, and especially only for FIFA 23 players.”
Sky Sports also revealed that the new deal is worth twice as much as the existing contract between the two parties. It can be seen that EA spent $ 588 million not only to get the copyright to the Premier League; it’s also a way for the company to continue to be one of the main partners of the tournament, bringing the EA Sports brand everywhere.
Of course, the question is how can EA pay such huge sums of money. Last year’s financial results for Ultimate Team’s digital card business helped the company raise more than $1.6 billion. From there, it can be seen why the company has to spend so much on its sports games segment.