Video game developer EA Sports has enhanced its partnership with football’s English Premier League.
Under the agreement, EA Sports will serve as the league’s ‘lead partner’ for the three-year period covering the 2016-17 to 2018-19 seasons.
As part of the expanded deal, EA Sports will receive on-screen branding during the league’s global broadcasts and will also sponsor the competition’s Player of the Month and Player of the Season awards.
In addition, EA Sports, which also holds the Premier League’s exclusive electronic game licence, will be granted in-stadia integration before matches and will continue to sponsor the competition’s Fantasy Premier League online game.
“EA Sports are recognised the world over for the hugely popular Fifa game series, which millions of Premier League fans engage with every day, making them a great fit to be Lead Partner of the League,” Premier League managing director Richard Masters said.
“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.”
From the 2016-17 season onwards, the Premier League will operate without a title sponsor and will instead adopt a seven-partner structure.
Banking group Barclays held the naming rights to the Premier League until the end of the 2015-16 campaign and has agreed to become the league’s first-ever official banking partner under the revamped sponsorship structure, while EA Sports and sportswear giant Nike have also extended their partnerships under the new model.
Beer brand Carling and luxury watchmaker Tag Heuer have also signed on as new partners.