Premier League closes in £500m deal with video games maker EA Sports

The Premier League is closing in on a commercial deal with Electronic Arts (EA), the video-games maker, that would be worth close to £500m.

Sky News has learnt the 20 Premier League clubs were briefed at a meeting on Friday a new six-year partnership with EA Sports worth about £488m is close to being finalised.

One club executive said it would deliver more than £80m annually, and would consist of EA remaining as the league's lead partner as well as retaining its exclusive electronic game licence.

The lucrative extension is said to be worth more than double the existing deal involving the two parties.

Sky Sports News understands it's this commercial strength that has helped convince the would-be defectors who considered joining the European Super League in 2021 that the Premier League is the most financially robust league in world football.

It also underlines why Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus are so keen to push through with the European Super League plans, because LaLiga and Serie A clubs currently cannot compete commercially with the Premier League.