New report says FIFA wants "more than double" from EA to renew licence Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. New report says FIFA wants "more than double" from EA to renew licence Over $1 billion for each four-year World Cup cycle. News by Matt Wales Reporter Updated on 14 Oct 2021 106 comments Last week, EA shared the surprise news it's currently "exploring the idea of renaming" its long-running FIFA football series - and we might now know why; a new report claims the football association wants EA to pay "more than double" its current deal to continue using its licence. According to the New York Times, the current ten-year agreement between EA and FIFA comes to an end in 2022, and negotiations to extend that deal are due to conclude this year. However, "at least two years of talks" are said to have now stalled as the two parties struggle to agree on specifics, with FIFA wanting to increase the cost of its licence to "more than $1 billion for each four-year World Cup cycle" - perhaps eager to capitalise on the exponential growth of Ultimate Team, which made EA $1.62bn in its 2021 financial year, mostly through FIFA. However, that's not the only sticking point; the New York Times' sources say the companies have also failed to agree on what the new deal should cover. EA is apparently keen to explore other avenues using the FIFA licence, such as video game tournaments and digital products like NFTs, while FIFA wants to limit the scope of the deal to pursue new opportunities itself. Watch on YouTube FIFA 22 - Official Launch Trailer. While negotiations between FIFA and EA continue, the latter certainly appears to be laying the groundwork to forge ahead without FIFA's globally recognised licence. A trademark filing was recently spotted on the websites of the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office and the European Union Intellectual Property Office suggesting EA is readying to adopt the moniker "EA Sports FC" for its football games. While EA's relationship with FIFA is looking increasingly wobbly, the publisher yesterday confirmed it would be renewing its contract with FIFPRO, enabling it to continue using "thousands of player names and likenesses" alongside various official leagues - a move EA said would help it "deliver the greatest, most authentic football [video game] experience". Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 4 Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 13 Latest Articles Digital Foundry Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090: a new level in graphics performance The Digital Foundry video review - and how the new GPU champion delivers for 4K 120fps gaming. Feature Evercore Heroes wants to wind people up the right way "There's less rage at them, because they didn't end your fun." Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 4 Genshin Impact Path of Gleaming Jade dates, login event rewards Including other anniversary rewards and how to claim them. Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store