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New Multiyear Contract Makes Lionel Messi Face Of EA Sports' FIFA Soccer Franchise

EA Sports has signed La Liga club Barcelona F Lionel Messi to a multiyear deal that will see him become the global face of the "EA Sports FIFA" soccer franchise. Messi will make his debut in March on the cover of "FIFA Street." He will become the cornerstone of marketing and advertising campaigns, featured on packaging and utilized in social media activities globally. EA Sports will also team up with the Leo Messi Foundation to support social, education and health care related initiatives for children around the world (EA Sports). In London, Matt Lawless noted Messi was "once the poster boy for rival computer game Pro Evolution Soccer until he was replaced" by La Liga club Real Madrid F Cristiano Ronaldo for this year's version (London DAILY MAIL, 11/25). Messi's debut promotional video for the "FIFA" game will air prior to the game's release. In London, Jim Munro noted in the video, Messi's character "can be seen demonstrating all his familiar flicks and tricks." The camera "then pulls back to reveal the man at the controls is none other than Messi himself" (London SUN, 11/25).

FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION: When asked what insights he has gained about leading and managing, EA CEO John Riccitiello said, "One of the things I would say is that you have to be absolutely genuine. You have to know what you truly believe and what you truly value, and it has to be undeniably consistent." He added, "You will fail. Failure is essential for success" (N.Y. TIMES, 11/27).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

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