EA Sports signs content deal with The Athletic

October 10 – EA Sports has signed a multi-year partnership with The Athletic that will integrate the sports media outlet’s editorial and video content across EA’s expanding digital platforms, including the EA Sports App and forthcoming EA Sports FC 26.

The collaboration, which spans football, the NFL, Formula One and college football, marks a significant step in EA’s evolution from a traditional gaming publisher to a broader digital sports ecosystem. The Athletic’s news, analysis and feature content will appear directly within the EA Sports App and FC 26 Career Mode, while in-app rewards will be offered to players who engage with its coverage.

It marks the first marketing step from EA since last week’s $55 billion takeover from a consortium including the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund.

“The EA Sports App is a foundational step in the future of sports fandom – reimagining how the next generations of fans will connect to the sports, teams and athletes they love,” said David Tinson, chief experience officer at Electronic Arts.

“By combining high-quality news and insights from The Athletic with the interactive capabilities of EA Sports, we’re blending real and virtual sports in a unified platform that will meet the evolving needs of sports fans everywhere.”

Sebastian Tomich, chief commercial officer at The Athletic, added: “EA Sports is the perfect partner to help us connect with younger fans and deliver a new kind of editorial experience. While we’re starting with editorial, we see this as just the beginning of what our two brands can deliver to fans together.”

The deal strengthens The Athletic’s push to broaden its digital reach and subscriber base, following its recent move to integrate official NFL video highlights into its platform. For EA, it signals a growing ambition to extend beyond gaming into live and on-demand sports engagement – a strategy echoed by partnerships such as Major League Soccer’s live streaming on EA FC Mobile and cross-promotions with Amazon Prime’s NHL docuseries Faceoff: Inside the NHL.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1760102925labto1760102925ofdlr1760102925owedi1760102925sni@g1760102925niwe.1760102925yrrah1760102925