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Nearly 30 years after launching the FIFA series, soccer’s global governing body has reportedly decided to walk away from its licensing deal with EA Sports.
According to the New York Times, negotiations over the future of the video game franchise have hit an impasse, as FIFA has requested that EA double the current licensing fee of $150 million per year to $1 billion every four years.
Meanwhile, EA has already registered a trademark for the phrase EA Sports F.C., an appropriate title should the gaming company continue the series once its deal with FIFA expires.
In a statement released earlier this week, executive president and general manager of EA Sports, Cam Weber, hinted at permenantly cutting ties with FIFA.
“As we look ahead, we’re also exploring the idea of renaming our global EA SPORTS football games,” Weber said. “This means we’re reviewing our naming rights agreement with FIFA, which is separate from all our other official partnerships and licenses across the football world.”
FIFA responded with its own statement, implying that it is looking to take the future of its games elsewhere.
“FIFA is bullish and optimistic about its long-term future in gaming and esports following a comprehensive and strategic assessment of the gaming and interactive entertainment market,” the statement read.
Stay tuned as we learn more information about the negotiations between FIFA and EA Sports.
