Premier League on the verge of new big-money deal with EA Sports

The Premier League is set to continue its partnership with Electronic Arts (EA) Sports, with both sides agreeing on a new big-money commercial deal.

According to Sky Sports, the video game makers will pay around a mammoth £500 million to finalise the deal that would see their affiliation continue for another six years.

All 20 clubs have reportedly been briefed on the new development that will see EA remain the league’s lead partner and retain its exclusive licence.

The reported figure agreed between both parties is understood to be worth more than double what the current deal is worth, with the partnership now expected to rake in over £80m annually.

News of a renewed partnership between EA and the Premier League comes after the video game makers ended their 30-year association with FIFA just last year.

EA made the announcement after the release of FIFA 23. They also confirmed plans to continue making their own football game under the EA Sports FC franchise.

EA Sports has been one of the Premier League’s lead partners since 2016, and the current deal gives them full licensing rights to use the league in their current FIFA games.

The Premier League’s financial power is unmatched, and this deal, from a commercial standpoint, confirms that and also helped convince defectors who considered joining the shunned European Super League (ESL) back in 2021.

The idea of the ESL has not yet gone away, with the powers-that-be at Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus still keen to push through with the breakaway tournament.

The English league is the most financially robust competition in the world, with the other European ‘top five’ struggling to compete with English clubs commercially.

The protagonists of the ESL have been accused of being ‘jealous’ of the Premier League with the competition’s revised format not allowing English teams to participate.