News
Messi to EA Sports
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – November 24, in the year of our
Lord 2011 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today
announced that EA SPORTS™ has signed the world’s top footballer,
Barcelona and Argentina superstar Lionel Messi, to a multi-year
endorsement contract that will see him become the global face of
the EA SPORTS FIFA franchise. The biggest transfer deal this
football season sees the FIFA Ballon d’Or 2010 winner transfer
to EA SPORTS and make his debut in March, 2012 on the cover of
FIFA Street.
View a FIFA Street video of Messi here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBuAmfyM5AU
“Our FIFA franchise is the number one selling sports videogame
franchise in the world, and Lionel Messi is the number one
player in the world, so this agreement is a true partnership of
superstars,” said Matt Bilbey, Vice President and GM of
Football, EA SPORTS. “With Messi on our team we have the world’s
best and most exciting player to help EA SPORTS maintain its
global leadership in the years ahead.”
“I want to be part of the team behind the best sports football
game in the world and be associated with the great EA SPORTS
name,” said Messi. “EA SPORTS is a brand that shares my values
of creativity, excellence and social responsibility.”
Playing for FC Barcelona, Messi received the prestigious FIFA
Ballon d’Or 2010 award as the top footballer in the world, was
UEFA Champions League Top Goal Scorer the past three years, is
the three-time La Liga Player of the Year, and has made the
shortlist for the 2011 FIFA Ballon d’Or. At just 24, Messi has
scored over 200 goals in all competitions and currently sits
second in the rankings of Barcelona’s all-time leading goal
scorers. He has scored 27 goals and 14 assists in 29 games this
season in all competitions.
The multi-faceted partnership will see Messi become an EA SPORTS
Football Ambassador. He will become the cornerstone of marketing
and advertising campaigns, featured on packaging, and utilized
in social media activities around the world for the critically
acclaimed FIFA franchise. EA SPORTS will also team up with the
Leo Messi Foundation to support social, educational and health
care related initiatives for children around the world.
The EA SPORTS FIFA series, now in its 19th year, sold a
record-breaking 3.2 million copies of FIFA 12 in the first five
days after launching to become the biggest launch in the history
of sports videogames.
*Based on units sold world-wide as of July 25, 2011 (via NPD,
Chart-track, GFK & Famitsu Marketing Data Service)