EA Sports has renewed its lead partner deal with the Premier League, SportBusiness Sponsorship has learned.
The new deal will cover two cycles, running from 2019-20 to 2024-25.
The developer and publisher of the Fifa game series will continue to be the biggest single contributor to Premier League sponsorship revenues. The licensing component of the deal is thought to make up around half the deal value.
A bigger surprise is that Budweiser has taken the beer category from rival Carling in the 2019-20 to 2021-22 cycle, though it is consistent with the brand’s recent activity in English football.
In February, Budweiser extended its deal with the Football Association, adding Wembley Stadium rights and taking over England national team rights from Carlsberg.
Of the other brands still to renew for the 2019-20 to 2021-22 cycle, it is thought that Barclays will announce its continued association with the league in the financial services sector before Christmas. Cadbury, which is running to a different cycle, 2017-18 to 2019-20, is likely to renew in the Official Snack Partner category.
Three brands have already committed to the next cycle. Tag Heuer extended for the next cycle in August this year. Coca-Cola’s three-and-a-half-year partnership starts in January 2019. Nike recently signed off for two cycles until 2025.
For more on the Premier League sponsorship strategy read “Coca-Cola deal completes Premier League portfolio”.