EA, MLS and the gamified future of live sport
Last year, Electronic Arts laid out grand ambitions to turn EA FC — its long-running football franchise and by some measure the most successful in video game history — into a one-stop shop for fans. The idea was to create an online platform where fans could play the game, buy merchandise and match tickets, and watch live games.
Today, that vision takes a step closer to reality. As part of a deal announced this week with Major League Soccer, this afternoon’s match between LA Galaxy and New York Red Bulls will be broadcast live worldwide through the EA FC Mobile app. A handful of other MLS games will be shown the same way in future. The global element was made possible thanks to the media rights deal MLS has with Apple.
There are some interesting details. Those who watch the matches will be rewarded with in-game currency, which can be used to buy players and other items, and offered a one-month free pass to watch the MLS on Apple+. In a statement, MLS said it was “reaching new and digitally native audiences around the world and continuing to broaden the way we’re building relationships with fans”.
This is part of a trend across sport of experimenting with the way live events are broadcast. During the Qatar World Cup in 2022, Fifa allowed a popular gamer to stream live matches on his Twitch account. Amazon has recently been dabbling with pay-per-view for individual football matches.
For now, rights holders are in trial and error mode and much of this remains low-risk. Offering tens of millions of football fans a free taster of something that is otherwise not in high demand (in this case MLS matches) looks to be a no brainer. Gamifying the experience will also help gauge changing consumer behaviour in a way not possible before.
With the old broadcast model coming under strain, even for prime content, we can expect to see more and more of this in the coming months. But where it’s all heading remains anyone’s guess.