EA Sports, UFC renew video game deal for 10 more years
Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) and UFC announced a multi-year renewal of their partnership to continue to deliver authentic, innovative, and thrilling mixed martial arts (MMA) games. Millions of players worldwide for years to come will get to compete in the virtual octagon through the gaming franchise.
The new agreement arrives as the world is playing and watching more EA SPORTS UFC than ever before as MMA fandom continues to grow. Fans played more than 64 million simulated UFC fights during the EA SPORTS UFC 4 launch week, a 125 percent year-over-year increase compared with the previous edition, EA SPORTS UFC 3. EA SPORTS UFC 4 launch weekend timed alongside UFC 252: Miocic vs. Cormier 3 enhanced the connection to the sport driving a spike of almost 75 percent more players than EA SPORTS UFC 3.
“We’re thrilled to extend our more than 10-year partnership with the UFC as we continue to build one of the fastest-growing sports franchises in the world, based on the rapidly expanding sport of MMA,” said Cam Weber, Executive Vice President & Group GM, EA SPORTS. “This agreement will allow us to push the creative boundaries of mixed martial arts video games and connect millions more around the world to the culture of the sport.”
“We’re thrilled that we will continue our partnership with EA for the next 10 years,” said Tracey Bleczinski, Senior Vice President, UFC Global Consumer Products. “EA SPORTS has become a natural extension of UFC’s brand and an important way to engage with our fans. We’ve just launched our most successful game to date and EA keeps proving there’s room to grow and introduce new fans to the sport. We’re going to keep pushing the boundaries together and make incredible games that UFC fans love to play.”
EA SPORTS and the UFC will also partner on innovative new experiences and more ways for fans around the world to connect with the excitement of MMA. The partnership will include more forms of play and self-expression, available on more platforms, including expanded future offerings for mobile players. This partnership will also focus on design, visualization, and development innovations for the games to grow and deepen the world of EA SPORTS UFC, impacting how they play and feel, and how players connect to the sport as it happens.
The announcement follows the release of UFC 4 for PlayStation®4 and Xbox One on August 14, 2020 and delivers the most polished MMA experience to date. UFC® middleweight champion Israel “The Last Stylebender” Adesanya and UFC welterweight contender Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal serve as the game’s official cover athlete duo.
