After Konami revealed a "premium partnership" with FC Barcelona it seems EA Sports were eager to one up them with a more involved partnership of their own. EA Sports and the Premier League already had a partnership and exclusive agreements, but this new "lead partner" status will mean more cross promotion between the two. Among the new ingredients are "on-screen branding on all the League's global broadcasts, sponsorship of the official Player of the Month and Season Awards", but overall what the player will experience is an experience in-game that closer mimics what you see on your TV. The new deal runs through the 2018/2019 season.
Premier League Managing Director, Richard Masters, said:
"EA Sports is a fantastic partner for the Premier League and we are very excited about this new agreement.
"They are recognised the world over for the hugely popular FIFA game series - which millions of Premier League fans engage with every day - making EA Sports a great fit to be Lead Partner of the League.
"This partnership will allow EA Sports to collaborate even more with the League and the clubs, and to be part of the interest and excitement around the competition, both through their fantastic games and the association with the Premier League that this agreement brings."
EA Sports Global Marketing Vice President, Jamie McKinlay, said:
"This expanded partnership brings our milliions of players even closer to the Premier League and further embeds our franchise in the fabric of the world's most popular football league. This year is an especially exciting one for Premier League fans as we debut The Journey, a brand new mode within FIFA 17 in which fans will live their story on and off the pitch as Premier League prospect Alex Hunter. Our team are hugely passionate fans of the Premier League themselves, and we are extremely excited about all of the integration and collaboration opportunities this partnership will bring."