Liverpool FC and EA SPORTS FC have extended their long-standing commercial partnership, taking a relationship that began in 2019 beyond the decade mark as both organisations look to deepen engagement with global football and gaming audiences.
EA SPORTS will continue as Liverpool’s official football simulation game partner, with the renewed agreement expanding the relationship across original content, digital activations, in-game experiences and matchday engagement.
A key feature of the next phase will be an increased focus on Liverpool FC Women. EA SPORTS plans to create additional content and experiences around the women’s team, including activity from the AXA Melwood Training Centre, reflecting Liverpool’s broader strategy of ensuring its commercial partnerships represent the club across both the men’s and women’s game.
The partnership has already produced significant digital engagement. Liverpool’s annual EA SPORTS FC player ratings reveal series has generated more than 115 million views and 6.6 million engagements across the club’s social channels, demonstrating the ability of gaming content to turn player and club intellectual property into scalable global fan engagement.
The renewal coincides with the launch of EA SPORTS FC 27, with Liverpool featuring prominently in the latest edition. Reds forward Rio Ngumoha has been named a global EA SPORTS FC ambassador, joining new Liverpool signing Bradley Barcola. Captain Virgil van Dijk is Liverpool’s highest-rated men’s player in FC 27 with an 88 rating, while Natalia Ramos leads the women’s squad with a rating of 82.
The relationship will also extend into the physical fan environment. Supporters will be able to play FC 27 in the Fan Zone at Anfield ahead of Liverpool Women’s Merseyside derby against Everton on September 27 and the men’s Premier League fixture against Manchester City on October 11.
The renewal comes during a period of expansion for EA SPORTS’ wider commercial ecosystem. In August, EA SPORTS FC and the Bundesliga extended their relationship, moving beyond traditional game licensing into digital content, intellectual property, football data, emerging technology and fan engagement through the EA SPORTS App. The Bundesliga partnership also covers EA SPORTS FC 27, FC Mobile and FC Online, alongside the Virtual Bundesliga esports competition.
For Liverpool, the EA SPORTS renewal forms part of an increasingly diversified commercial strategy. The club has recently expanded its technology relationship with Wasabi, renewed its global relationship with Google Pixel and Google Gemini, and established a global partnership with TOMMY HILFIGER.
The club’s ownership structure has also evolved. Fenway Sports Group agreed in August to sell a minority stake in Liverpool to 1892 Holdings, a consortium led by Amit Bhatia and featuring investment from the Mittal Family Trusts, K5 Sports, a K5 Global Fund led by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and EE Capital. FSG will retain majority ownership and operational control.
Ben Latty, chief commercial officer at LFC, said, “We’re delighted to continue our relationship with EA SPORTS and extend a partnership that will now span more than a decade. Over that time, we’ve worked together on some brilliant campaigns and content, finding new ways for our supporters around the world to engage with the club through gaming.
“What’s particularly exciting about this next chapter is the opportunity to build on that even further. An important part of that is the increased focus on Liverpool FC Women. We want our partnerships to represent the whole club, and we’re looking forward to working with EA SPORTS to create more content and experiences around the women’s team.
“EA SPORTS has been a fantastic partner to the club, and we’re excited to continue building on what has already been a really successful relationship.”
James Salmon, Senior Director of Partnership Marketing at EA SPORTS FC, added, “We’re incredibly proud to continue our long-standing partnership with Liverpool FC, a club defined by its history, global influence and one of the most passionate fan bases in world football. For more than a decade, we’ve shared an ambition to bring football and gaming closer together, and we’re excited to build on that relationship across the whole club and create even more meaningful connections with Reds around the world.”
The commercial expansion arrives alongside a significant sporting transition. Andoni Iraola has taken charge as Liverpool’s new head coach, succeeding Arne Slot, and has overseen a summer recruitment programme featuring high-profile additions including Giorgi Mamardashvili, Ronald Araujo and, most recently, Brady Barcola.
Liverpool have made an unbeaten but winless start to Iraola’s competitive tenure, drawing 2-2 away to Newcastle United in the opening Premier League fixture before recovering twice to draw 2-2 with Nottingham Forest at Anfield.
The Reds travel to Ipswich Town on September 4 seeking their first league victory of the campaign, before hosting Fulham on September 12. Their Champions League campaign begins on September 9 against Atletico Madrid at Anfield, followed by away trips to LASK and Fenerbahce and home meetings with Villarreal and Porto during the league phase.
For Liverpool and EA SPORTS, however, the significance of the latest agreement extends beyond the immediate sporting calendar. The partnership increasingly sits at the intersection of football, gaming, content, technology and commerce.
The renewal therefore represents a broader shift in sports commercialisation: from licensing club assets into a videogame to building an interconnected fan ecosystem in which gaming, social media, player content, matchday experiences, technology and brand partnerships reinforce one another.
