EA Sports unveiled sweeping plans to invest in the future of women’s soccer, both in-game and on the pitch. The UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) and EA Sports partnered to provide more opportunities and representation in the best-selling franchise.
The UWCL and EA Sports announced a multi-year partnership. Teams and players from the top women’s soccer league in Europe will be available in-game in early 2023. These include Juventus Women, Real Madrid Femenino, Chelsea Women, Manchester City Women, Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, Paris Saint-Germain Féminine and more.
At launch, FIFA 23 featured teams from England and France’s top women’s soccer leagues as playable clubs. EA Sports fulfilled their promise that more women’s clubs would be added over time. In a press release, Nadine Kessler, chief of women’s football for UEFA, said, “it feels like a natural fit for the world’s best women’s club competition to be part of the world’s leading football simulation game.”
EA Sports will also support the UWCL with its marketing budget. The developer has signed a multi-year agreement with DAZN to become the global broadcast partner of the UWCL. The partnership will kick off in March for the UWCL quarterfinal round. The UWCL clubs will launch in FIFA 23 simultaneously.
To further commit to the future of the women’s game, EA Sports will contribute $11 million to the Starting XI Fund. This capital will go to in-game, league, club and athlete investments that will elevate women in soccer. Additionally, EA Sports will fund a women’s internship program with each new and existing women’s league partner. The goal of these internships is to inspire and provide opportunities for young women from diverse backgrounds to get involved in soccer.
Recently, Electronic Arts and FIFA split ways. It’s unclear if this split — and the franchises future rebranding to EA Sports FC — paved the way for UWCL’s inclusion in the series. In any case, EA Sports may see this deal as a good investment as the franchise moves into uncertain territory.