EA Sports FC & PepsiCo partner up ahead of official game reveal

Esports Industry

July 12, 2023

Jaishil Mistry

EA Sports FC is getting all the hype this month, with the release of a new trailer, game preview and an exclusive multi-year global partnership.

In the latest significant move, PepsiCo, the renowned food and beverage conglomerate, has unveiled a multi-year global partnership with EA Sports. This strategic alliance positions three of PepsiCo’s flagship brands – Pepsi, Gatorade, and Lay’s – as proud partners of the highly anticipated football gaming property, EA SPORTS FC.

Credit: EA Sports / PepsiCo

Further details of upcoming activations will be revealed at a later date. PepsiCo expressed its keen interest in collaborating around competitive gaming with EA. The drinks conglomerate, best known for its flagship soft drink Pepsi, stated that the partnership aligns with its overarching business strategy to deliver activations that unite the realms of football, music, and gaming.

The global, multi-year deal, whose exact length was not disclosed, is the result of a “shared agenda,” according to PepsiCo’s Head of Global Sports and Partnerships, Adam Warner.

The partnership comes after EA’s acrimonious split with long-time partner FIFA for the eponymous FIFA video game series, leading to EA moving forward under the new independent name EA Sports FC. FIFA notably has a decades-old partnership with Pepsi rival Coca-Cola. With FIFA out of the picture, EA is free to broaden its horizons.

The latest teaser for the new title just dropped yesterday:

With Pepsi’s weight behind it, EA will be confident going into the launch of the first EA Sports FC title, anticipated to be coming later this year.

Albeit gaming-focused, Pepsi’s major deal with EA Sports FC will be a boost for the industry at a time when some brands are reportedly sceptical of ROI in the competitive gaming space. But Warner said he sees esports as one touch point in their broader gaming strategy — one that PepsiCo is confident in.

“We see great scale and continued momentum in the gaming passion point,” he added. “It is a priority now and will continue to be a priority going forward.”

The full EA Sports FC reveal arrives July 13th, 18:30 CET (12:30 ET). You can watch the broadcast at the link below: