A while back, football organization FIFA renewed its terms of licenses for EA by demanding almost double the original amount, as well as enforcing strict guidelines for avenues of monetization. In a recent interview with Financial Times, EA FIFA branding boss David Jackson describes the current status of the dispute as still “bitter”.
Jackson, however, seems to be confident about the possibility of moving away from the license and rebranding EA’s football simulation to something new. He said that there are millions and millions of players who love the franchise, which he believes wouldn’t change anytime soon.
“[W]e are not certain that we will move forward with FIFA as a naming rights partner,” he said (as reported by Push Square). “[FIFA] has lots and lots of players […] we don’t see why that would change in the future.”
EA has already trademarked the title EA Sports FC in both the UK and Europe. Of course, it’s understandable that EA would pull off such a move as FIFA’s stringent guidelines fly right in the face of what the executives seem to have in store for the series’ future. To read more about the matter, check out our editorial through here.
