In what could be a huge blow to the ending franchise deal between Electronic Arts and FIFA, Konami has managed to secure the exclusive rights to Inter Milan for the 2022-2023 season of eFootball, the free-to-play football competitor to the long-running FIFA series.
Announced by Konami via Twitter, the partnership will also give Konami the rights for:
- Global Football Video Game Partner
- Training Kit Back Partner
- Youth Development Center Partner
In the Italian club’s own announcement, FC Inter Milan also states that “the eFootball logo for Konami’s popular football-themed video game series will appear on the reverse of the training kit worn by the men’s and women’s first teams as well as youth sides, in addition to featuring on the pre-match kit donned by players during the warm-up ahead of all domestic fixtures.”
Another interesting tidbit is that the football club also noted that the agreement is for the 2022/23 season and beyond, suggesting that Konami will be retaining the Italian FC for quite some time.
Luca Danovaro, Chief Revenue Officer of FC Internazionale Milano, said:
“We are delighted to welcome KONAMI back into the Inter family and to announce this important and unique partnership, which once again proves the ever-growing value of the Nerazzurri brand and its ability to represent the ideal communication platform to engage a young, innovative and international target, capable of connecting millions of fans around the world, thanks to a long-term strategy. Starting this season, KONAMI will play a leading role in our world."
The addition of Inter Milan has bolstered the ranks of Konami’s eFootball. Their exclusive roster now includes the clubs and players of Manchester United, Bayern Munich, and Arsenal. Recently, the Japanese publisher announced that it's ending its partnership with Juventus, another Italian club. This new partnership with Inter Milan could be a promising replacement.
It will be interesting to see how this development will change the game’s perception. Following what could only be described as a disastrous release, Konami’s eFootball was criticized, with the game reaching notoriety as one of the lowest-rated Steam games of all time, a feat that the company is looking to turn around with new partnerships with different football clubs.
