EA Sports: FIFA rebrands as “opportunity of a lifetime” to establish a worldwide soccer platform
EA Sports FC head of brand says publisher has much greater freedom to launch new products, expand service offering, and strike commercial deals.
- In 2022, EA Sports and FIFA broke up after 30 years.
- Over 14.3 million FC Activation of 24 accounts in the first four weeks
- The most recent agreement will add FIFA Euro 2024 to the game during summer 2024.
According to EA Sports, the decision to rename its multibillion-dollar FIFA series as EA Sports FC was a “once in a lifetime” chance to establish a worldwide soccer platform that went beyond video games.
After failing to reach an agreement on conditions, the publisher terminated its wildly successful collaboration with the international soccer governing body last year. Fifa allegedly intended to boost its yearly fee to US$300 million, while EA wanted more freedom to pursue new digital and commercial options.
With the release of EA FC 24 in September of this year, FIFA 23 was the final game in the series to use the Fifa name.
Vice President of Brand for EA Sports FC David Jackson said on the SportsPro Podcast that it would be difficult but thrilling to take over a very successful brand that is connected to soccer video games.
“The products we built have multigenerational engagement and 30 years of deep feeling for [FIFA],” he stated. However, the main impression left by [the rebrand] was one of tremendous opportunity—the chance to create something.
“We’re not starting from scratch because we have a ton of equity, because [EA FC] is still an EA Sports game with the quality that comes with that, but it’s still an opportunity to start from scratch and build what we hope will be a beloved and long-lasting global football platform.”
“For any organization, and definitely for me and my team, it’s the chance of a lifetime.”
According to Jackson, the term “FC” was selected because it is a prefix or suffix for soccer clubs in the majority of nations worldwide, and because its two-syllable acronym increases the likelihood that it will replace “FIFA” in the vocabulary of video games.
Despite losing the Fifa license and the associated brand awareness, EA hasn’t lost any of the intellectual property (IP) that gives their soccer simulators its remarkable realism. Rather, it has increased its focus on exclusive deals with leagues like the Premier League, the Uefa Champions League, and LaLiga (formally rebranded as EA Sports LaLiga) to guarantee that player likenesses, club branding, and accurate presentation are included in the game.
The most recent deal is with FIFA to incorporate Euro 2024 in the game this summer. This is the first time the competition has been included since FIFA 12 added Euro 2012. There will be a new esports competition in addition to the free game update.
The marketing campaign to support the notion that EA Sports FC is a carryover of FIFA’s heritage seems to be effective thus far. Comparing EA Sports FC 24’s physical sales to FIFA 23’s, they were 30% lower, although this is more symptomatic of shifting consumer preferences as digital downloads become more significant.
In the first seven days following release, 11.3 million players downloaded FC 24, surpassing the 10.3 million who did the same for FIFA 23. Even though 11.3 million people did not pay for the game upfront because this number also includes EA Play subscribers, it does indicate that more players in the EA Sports FC ecosystem may have chosen to spend money on Ultimate Team’s in-app purchases, drawing attention to EA’s new business partners.
Over 1.6 billion games were played in the first 24 days, with 4.1 billion goals being scored across more than 200 countries. After Black Friday discounts, FC 24 also topped the physical charts in the UK, demonstrating the extended tail of sales.
Even though Fifa and EA Sports had a very successful three-decade partnership, there were certain restrictions placed on EA Sports by the terms of the agreement, especially with regard to developing new esports platforms, diversifying into other game genres, and securing sponsorship deals. In essence, it prevented Jackson and his group from building the desired international soccer platform.
“Fifa sells you a category, just like many IP owners do,” Jackson remarked. “Our category was’simulation, football video games.” “That prevents you from developing a social network, a media platform, an arcade football simulation, the ability to bid or pitch for broadcast highlights, or [many of the things I believe our players might expect from us in the future.”
Already, EA Sports has made use of its independence to produce a strategic soccer game, forged a significant international alliance with PepsiCo, and included Amazon advertisements into gameplay. Increasing the EA Sports FC ecosystem’s reach will increase income and reach through both first- and third-party channels.
Jackson gave the example, “We have a brilliant relationship with [Fifa partner] Adidas.” “They are a great partner of ours, but we would prefer to collaborate with Nike.”