January 19 – Germany’s DFL and EA Sports have extended their partnership until 2027, seeing EA Sports retain exclusive license rights for the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 in future EA Sports FC titles.
EA Sports will also remain the Bundesliga presentation partner for the ‘Player of the Month’ and ‘Player of the Season’ awards and will continue to implement a range of marketing campaigns in cooperation with the clubs.
The DFL’s partnership with EA Sports has been running for more than 25 years with the DFL being the first top tier league to launch an eFootball competition, the Virtual Bundesliga (VBL), in collaboration with EA Sports.
As the only competition directly integrated into the football simulation game, the VBL has up to 130,000 participants per season. In 2018, the DFL and EA Sports expanded their collaboration with the introduction of the VBL Club Championship.
DFL CEO Marc Lenz said: “The cooperation with EA Sports is much more than a licensing partnership – it is of high strategic importance. Our core aim is to reach young fans and find new ways to spark their interest in the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2. EA Sports FC is a successful part of this strategy, because the licensing partnership and the Virtual Bundesliga increase the visibility of our leagues and clubs.”
Recognising its importance, the DFL Members Assembly officially incorporated the VBL as an eFootball competition of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 into the DFL statutes in May 2022.
Cam Weber, President of EA Sports, said: “Authenticity is core to the EA SPORTS experience, and through our renewed partnership with the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga, we’ll bring the fierce competition and legendary clubs and teams from one of the greatest leagues in global football to fans worldwide. Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 are key to building an innovative and evolving football platform for fans, and we’re thrilled that the DFL shares our vision for the future of football.”
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1714353247labto1714353247ofdlr1714353247owedi1714353247sni@g1714353247niwe.1714353247yrrah1714353247