EA explores rebrand of FIFA franchise to 'EA Sports FC'

[HEXUS]

The firm has until December 2022 to renew its FIFA licensing.

Read more.

[nwmark]

People don't buy 'EA Sports FIFA 22' they buy 'FIFA 22' - would be madness to drop the name, FIFA would have a queue a mile long of companies wanting to license the name so they can release 'FIFA 23'

[QuorTek]

I believe that EA has been dishonoring the brand FIFA.

[Rubarb]

I believe that EA has been dishonoring the brand FIFA.

By not giving enough back handers you mean ?

[Spreadie]

Yeah, like they're really not going to renew. Regular fans of the FIFA games who pay attention to this kind of change are a minority. So, whichever company steps in for a new FIFA license will have a baked-in customer base.

[brainphrozen]

I believe people who buy FIFA each year are idiots.

[mtyson]

Update: EA has extended its contract with FIFPRO, so isn't going to be switching to the 'EA Sports FC' name anytime soon.

https://www.businesswire.com/news/ho...ces-to-Players

[spacein_vader]

Fifpro and Fifa are not the same organisation.

It's a negotiating tactic IMO.

[Saracen999]

I believe that EA has been dishonoring the brand FIFA.

I'm not a football fan (to find less of a fan, I suggest starting the search maybe in the Crab nebula) but nonetheless, I thought that was dripping in irony. I mean, given that I wouldn't bat an eyelid if football vanished in a puff of smoke, about the only thing I know of various football associations, especially FIFA, comes from watching FBI searches and the US Department of Justice raiding offices and indicting executives. Does the name Sepp Blatter (and UEFA President Michel Platini, for that matter) ring bells? What about the 30+ other officers and executives, in a number of countries, similarly indicted over a huge range of criminal charges involving bribery and kickbacks to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars?

I mean, yeah, FIFA'S Ethics Committee stepped in .... after numerous press expose and FBI activity left them little choice, but rather too little, and way, way too late.

FIFA honour? Seriously?

[jimbouk]

If they don't want to pay for the brand then they can just push updates to the previous X years of FIFA with the new branding and then it won't be such a shock. And they can dump full screen banner ads on suckers players as well as all the other channels they have for marketing.

But yeah, can't see this as anything other than posturing.

[Smudger]

To continue the thread of Saracen's post, apparently FIFA wanted to double the licensing fee to $1billion for 4 years. Looking at other news about players wanting a cut of money made by companies using their stats, I wonder if this is a reaction to that...