EA Sports will replace the Santander as a named sponsor of The league from the 2023/24 season. The sports video game division of Electronic Arts will name the Spanish competition, in a format yet to be decided.
As published on Tuesday by El Periódico de España, LaLiga still had a valid contract with Santander, but both parties announced in July their agreement to terminate their alliance at the end of the season that is about to begin.
From the institution chaired by Javier Tebas they argued that the competition had been revalued and that the agreement with the bank chaired by Ana Botín was already below what the market could offer.
This year there will be no changes: the First will continue to be called LaLiga Santander and the Second will be LaLiga Smartbank.
Almost double the money
According to the sources consulted, EA Sports (which already had sponsorship agreements except with LaLiga) will contribute around double the nearly 20 million euros per year that Santander is paying, which in its day relieved BBVA as nominal sponsor.
The video game company, creator of the FIFA saga (also of F1) will sponsor both the First and Second Divisionas well as other divisions, such as LaLiga Promises and, of course, those of e-games.
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In the absence of official confirmation, the naming agreement would extend for five seasons, from 23/24 to 27/28, according to Marca.
This move comes at a key moment for EA Sports, which a few months ago decided to break its alliance with FIFA (to whom he paid about 150 million euros per year for the use of his brand) and that from 2024 he will release his football titles under the name EA Sports FC.