July 18 – Germany’s Bundesliga has renewed one of its key digital gaming partnership with Electronic Arts but at the same time added to the sponsorship category with new partners in Konami and Sega.
The core rights to create match simulation products remain with Electronic Arts (EA) for the four seasons from 2018/19 through 2021/22 – EA first started working with the Bundesliga in 1998. The new EA deal will also continue to cover e-sports, including the national and international games competitions TAG Heuer Virtual Bundesliga and FIFA Ultimate Team.
EA also has a non-exclusive rights package to develop soccer manager simulation games in all languages and to market them globally.
Japanese firms Konami and Sega have acquired similar non-exclusive rights packages, but which are restricted to a single manager simulation only. This will allow Sega to create a Bundesliga version of its classic Football Manager game.
“Match and manager simulations are especially important to us because they help make the Bundesliga even more popular around the world – especially among the target group of young people who are passionate about soccer. That is why we are particularly pleased to be able to continue our successful partnership with Electronic Arts and its world-leading FIFA product. We have also been able to win over Konami and Sega, two providers that will also help us achieve our goal,” says Jörg Daubitzer, CEO of Bundesliga International.
The new deals expands the Bundesliga reach into the traditional videogamers market by making its rights technology neutral.
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