The Spanish football league, LaLiga has announced a new collaboration with the video game developer, Electronic Arts (EA) Sports.
This new five-year agreement will see the gaming corporation’s sports division secure naming rights to all of the Spanish football league’s tournaments.
Following this deal, EA Sports will take over Santander and its Smartbank brand as the title partner of LaLiga. The gaming company will have its presence in the second-tier league LaLiga, Segunda as well. Furthermore, this new arrangement also covers the eLaLiga esports series and the LaLiga Promises youth competition.
The Spanish league affirmed that the deal with Santander would not be extended beyond the 2022/23 season.
EA Sports will purely relabel LaLiga’s logos, visuals, fonts, and other graphic elements, alongside providing fresh in-game telecast integrations for highlights, in addition to the title sponsorship components. The collaboration would also include a commitment to assist grassroots soccer projects.
David Jackson, Vice President of Brand at EA Sports FC, said, “EA Sports FC is committed to delivering the most authentic and immersive experiences in global football. Our innovative new partnership with LaLiga further elevates that ambition and solidifies both organisations’ position at the centre of football culture.
“The visible reach and scale of this partnership is deeply exciting, as is the opportunity to deliver incredible experiences for fans through in-game innovation, interactive entertainment and grassroots initiatives.”
Javier Tebas, President of LaLiga, commented, “EA Sports represents the cutting edge of interactive football experiences while LaLiga is at the forefront of actual football competitions with unmatched in-person, broadcast and digital fan experiences.
“We have been strategic partners with EA Sports for years and this expanded agreement is a commitment to providing the next level of innovation to all football fans, a fusion between the virtual and real worlds of football.”