EA Inks Multi-Year Renewals With NHL and UFC

Electronic Arts (EA) has inked a pair of multi-year renewals for its deal with the NHL and NHLPA, as well as UFC.

EA, NHL and NHLPA Extend Multi-Year Deal

The new agreement with the NHL and NHLPA will allow EA SPORTS to accelerate authentic and innovative hockey simulation experiences for millions of players worldwide for years to come. The new agreement arrives as the world enjoys the widely successful EA SPORTS NHL. EA SPORTS NHL 21 for PlayStation4 and Xbox One has generated mass engagement with both existing and new fans as it achieved the most daily active players at launch for the franchise in the last three years. This year’s momentum builds upon incredible EA SPORTS NHL growth as EA SPORTS NHL 21 and NHL 94 Rewind*, the evolutionary take on the 16-bit classic, provides unique perspectives for all types of fans.

“We are thrilled to accelerate fun hockey experiences for years to come pushing the industry forward with our long-time NHL and NHLPA partners,” says Cam Weber, Executive Vice President & Group GM, EA SPORTS. “The EA SPORTS NHL franchise these past 30 years has become synonymous with hockey culture, and this extension will ensure it remains at the forefront of connecting millions of fans around the world to the sport through interactive entertainment.”

“EA SPORTS NHL continues to introduce new fans to the sport through its realistic and entertaining approach to the game,” says Brian Jennings, NHL Chief Brand Officer & Senior Executive Vice President. “The past eight months illustrates how EA is a critical extension to real-world sports, as fans turned to EA SPORTS NHL to play and watch hockey while we temporarily paused during the pandemic. Our shared approach for competitive gaming has enabled the league to create a touchpoint to younger fans who may experience the NHL for the first time through EA SPORTS NHL. Sustained connection that enhances fandom is what EA delivers and we look forward to continuing the incredible partnership.”

“The NHLPA is proud to renew our long-standing partnership with EA, ensuring their exceptional NHL hockey franchise will continue showcasing the players to fans around the world for the coming years,” says Mathieu Schneider, NHLPA Special Assistant to the Executive Director. “The simulated experience of hitting the ice behind the console with EA SPORTS NHL continues to be an incredible way for fans to connect with the players and the game.”

The announcement follows the release of EA SPORTS NHL 21 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One as Stanley Cup winner Alex Ovechkin is the latest cover athlete in a long lineage of legends representing the EA SPORTS NHL franchise. The also released NHL 94 Rewind this year is illustrative of the indelible impact the NHL franchise has had on hockey culture and beyond, exemplifying the power of the nearly 30-year long partnership between the NHL, NHLPA, and EA.

EA, UFC Extend Multi-Year Deal

The new agreement with UFC 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,” says Weber. “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,” says 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 EA SPORTS UFC 4 for PlayStation4 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.