eFootball beats EASFC to nod home a huge license deal
Since its arrival as a free-to-play title, eFootball hasn't quite reached the top division of football titles, lapping quite far behind the giant that is FIFA.
But after various updates, Konami is beginning to level the playing field and started rivalling the new EA Sports FC title as they face a rebrand and step away from the iconic FIFA name and association.
Now, eFootball has pulled another goal back in its hunt to equalise the score with EASFC as it has netted a huge license deal to retain some iconic exclusive teams.
eFootball scores a huge license agreement with FC Barcelona
Click to enlargeWith EASFC wrapping up some major licensing agreements with top leagues across the world, eFootball has opted for a different route, opting to sign deals with individual teams across the world to house their stadiums and players (in terms of marketing and appearance usage).
Konami has wrapped up deals with the likes of Bayern Munchen, Manchester United, both Milan teams, Arsenal, and the behemoth that is FC Barcelona.
Konami has now announced that it has extended its deal with FC Barcelona for another year, expanding on the relationship that was first penned in the 2016-17 season.
This will see Konami remain the Official Football Video Game Partner of FC Barcelona, meaning that they will have exclusive rights to the Catalan club and its assets.
Camp Nou will not be in EASFC 24 as eFootball secures exclusivity rights
Click to enlargeThese exclusivity deals mean that EASFC cannot use eFootball-partnered-teams' stadiums (in-game) and players (for promotional campaigns), meaning that Camp Nou will not be in EASFC.
The same will go for the Allianz Arena if Bayern also follows suit, and given that the two giant clubs also share other sponsors such as Prime now, it's likely that eFootball will be able to keep that partnership too.
"We are very pleased to renew our agreement with KONAMI, a company that over the years has always demonstrated its commitment to FC Barcelona," said Juli Guiu, FC Barcelona Vice President for Marketing.
"KONAMI is a benchmark in the video game sector and will help us to forge new synergies with young audiences and to continue to explore possibilities in the realm of digital entertainment, a key sector for the expansion of our brand in the coming years."
EASFC hopefuls were looking forward to having Camp Nou back in their control given that EA signed deals with La Liga, but they will have to wait at least another year as Konami and eFootball continue to strengthen its comeback.