Bundesliga Renews Gaming Partnership With EA, Names Konami, Sega New Partners

The Bundesliga renewed one of its "key" digital gaming partnerships with Electronic Arts and added to the sponsorship category with "new partners in Konami and Sega," according to Paul Nicholson of INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL. The "core rights to create match simulation products remain with Electronic Arts" from '18-19 through '21-22. The new EA deal "will also continue to cover" esports, including the Virtual Bundesliga and FIFA Ultimate Team. EA also has a non-exclusive rights package to develop football manager simulation games "in all languages and to market them globally." Japanese firms Konami and Sega acquired "similar non-exclusive rights packages, but which are restricted to a single manager simulation only." This will allow Sega to create a Bundesliga version of its Football Manager game (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 7/18).