Sports interactivethe studio behind the Football Manager series has signed an agreement with the Premier League, the organization for the next four years of the game.
Starting with the 2024-2025 season, The 20 clubs in the English Football League will be fully licensed for the games, from player photos to team logos and kits.
The Sports Management series is a footballing event in the UK and access to the equally important Premier League helps to expand the audience for both. And for publisher Sega, the multi-year deal could lead to a renewed, potentially longer deal down the road.
Everyone gets points when sports games are licensed for real teams
When it comes to sports games, especially football (or soccer as it is in the states), these kinds of deals can be beneficial for both the developer and the sports organization.
Look at last year EA Sports FC 24, which helped EA’s sports department publish better than expected autumn wages. This game marked the publisher’s departure from long-time partner FIFA and featured new (and old) licenses for the world’s soccer teams.
Sports studio director Miles Jacobson admitted he had wanted a deal with Premier since the studio was founded in 1994.[letting] we help with the incredible things the Premier League and their clubs do off the pitch’, such as community and charity work.
“We are very grateful to the Premier League and their other partners in our space,” he continued, “for allowing us to be the officially licensed product of the most commercially successful football league in the world.”