FIFA wants twice as much money from EA in licensing deal

Football governing body FIFA apparently has its eyes on a greater slice of the pie when it comes to its licensing deal with Electronic Arts.

That’s according to The New York Times, which reports that the organisation is seeking more than double the amount that EA Sports currently pays in its current licensing agreement to use the FIFA name for its blockbuster football franchise. This would apparently clock in at around $1 billion every four years.

FIFA is also looking to limit what EA can actually do with its license; the games firm says that it is within its rights to explore other revenue streams such as highlights of football matches, esports tournaments and… NFTs.

The two companies are set to reach a deal by the end of the year. The current agreement runs out at the end of 2022.

This comes after EA announced that it might rebrand its FIFA franchise and has filed trademarks for the term “EA Sports F.C.” in the UK and EU.

While EA and FIFA declined to comment, the NYT was able to speak to former EA exec Peter Moore, who pointed out that it’s unusual for the games firm to even publicly discuss its licensing agreements in this way.

“I don’t recall them ever putting out a statement saying we’re in negotiations on a renewal of the license,” he said. “That’s clearly sending a little bit of a signal.”

The publishing giant has also recently renewed its contract with the professional football player union, FIFPRO.