Game On: EA Sports Adds Liverpool FC To Its Worldwide Soccer Strategy
By Barry Janoff
August 2, 2013: EA Sports has signed a three-year deal with Liverpool Football Club that names the company the club's "official video gaming partner" beginning with the 2013-14 Barclays Premier League season.
EA Sports joins a roster of Liverpool marketing partners that includes Chevrolet, Carlsberg, Bank of America, jersey-front team sponsor Standard Chartered Financial and Maxxis.
Financial terms of the pact were not disclosed.
EA Sports has been the official sports technology partner of the Barclays Premier League since 2010. The video game company also has an official alliance with FIFA that runs through 2022.
EA Sports will support with marketing and presence on the team's Web site as well as in Anfield Stadium, Liverpool's home venue.
The alliance also has a major element featuring EA Sports' FIFA 14 game, scheduled for release in late September. Lionel Messi appears on the cover alongside Gareth Bale of BPL's Tottenham Hotspur in a limited edition being releasedd in the U.K., Ireland and the Middle East, according to EA Sports.
“We have over half a million registered LFC fans playing FIFA 13 and they all want to see authentic representation of their favorite Liverpool players in FIFA 14," Jamie McKinlay, vp-marketing for EA Sports, said in a statement. "We’re looking forward to delivering that authenticity, as well as a wide range of new and engaging initiatives for this historic club and its fans.”
FIFA 14's stars include Steven Gerrard, Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool.
Among other activations, EA Sports said it would give Liverpool FC fans the opportunity to play FIFA 14 at Anfield for selected fixtures throughout the season, offer fans via its "Goal of the Month" the chance to upload their best FIFA 14 goals for a chance to win prizes, access a free download of a special FIFA 14 cover and connect with content specific to Liverpool FC, such as match simulations, wallpapers and behind-the-scenes images.
According to Billy Hogan, chief commercial officer for Liverpool FC, “We are thrilled to have EA Sports, one of the world’s leading sports entertainment brands, as our new partner. We know that so many of our Liverpool family, including fans and players, play EA Sports FIFA regularly so this new partnership will help bring the Club closer to our fans in innovative new ways.”
EA Sports' deal with the Barclays Premiere League includes branding during broadcasts of Barclays Premier League games, working with broadcasters "to develop enhancements for match day broadcast analysis and increased fan interaction" and sponsorship of the Team of the Week and Player Performance Index.
EA Sports has also been working with the league to "explore new ways to utilize more in depth Barclays Premier League statistics" in EA Sports soccer products.
EA Scores With FIFA Through 2022
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