Still fresh off a sweeping run at the FC 24 Coins Emmys, Ted Lasso's unparalleled success has surprised even the show‘s masterminds, Bill Lawrence and Jason Sudeikis, whose desire for a third season was fulfilled by Warner Bros., Universal, and Apple TV. After all, Ted Lasso was born out of a comedy skit developed by Sudeikis and Lawrence to welcome the English Premier League aboard NBC Sports‘ regular programming as far back as 2022. when the first drafts of the now-beloved character showed how much potential was in that idea after his short-lived stint in charge of Tottenham Hotspur.
EA Sports' FIFA franchise has become one of the most highly-regarded annual titles in the world of sports games. EA has partnered with the International Federation of Association Football for use of the massive association's branding and likeness for almost 30 years since FIFA International Soccer in 1993. However, recent rumors have suggested a rift between EA Sports and FIFA that may lead to EA dropping the FIFA branding, and a new report from the New York Times suggests the quarrel may be tied to money.
FIFA has been one of EA's best-selling franchises for many years due in part to the widespread popularity of association football. The franchise has been massively profitable for EA Sports through its raw sales, as well as the popularity of the microtransaction-driven FIFA Ultimate Team. The company has partnered with FIFA consistently since the franchise's inception for the use of both the FIFA and FIFA World Cup likenesses and branding.
A recent trademark filed by EA suggested a title change may be rebranding to EA Sports FC for upcoming titles and a report from EA Sports executive Cam Weber may confirm those rumors. Weber detailed that talks of a potential contract renewal between buy EA FC Coins and EA Sports had stalled, referencing a potential break in the collaboration following the Qatar World Cup in 2022. The report goes on to detail that FIFA requested a payment of $1 billion every four years for EA to continue to use the FIFA name and branding.