According to Electronic Arts’ latest earnings report, EA Sports FC, the recently rebranded sports gaming franchise, has garnered an impressive 14.5 million active accounts across console and premium PC platforms in its initial four weeks. This remarkable feat includes a surge in new players, showcasing double-digit growth for the franchise. To put this into perspective, FIFA 23 managed to amass 10.3 million players in its debut week.
The backstory behind the rebranding traces back to 2022 when FIFA and EA encountered a discord. FIFA, the global soccer/football governing body, reportedly demanded a staggering $1 billion for the naming rights to the franchise. EA Sports declined the proposition, resulting in the transformation into EA Sports FC. While the time frames are not identical, it’s evident that fans embraced the change in branding.
“We see that they’ve maintained their revenue guidance, but they’ve increased their EPS guidance by 25 cents per share. So, the clear takeaway here is that they are saving more by not paying FIFA a licensing fee than they’ve had to invest in promoting the rebranded EA Sports FC game,” commented Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush.
The earnings report reveals that EA Sports’ soccer franchise has surpassed Q2 expectations, with net bookings exhibiting a remarkable 41% year-on-year growth. It’s worth noting that this figure includes the continued earnings from FIFA 23.
EA Sports CEO Andrew Wilson expressed his enthusiasm during the earnings call, stating, “The successful launch of EA SPORTS FC represents a profound achievement. We have reimagined and expanded one of the largest franchises in the world, setting new standards of authenticity, innovation, and social interaction. Fan reception of FC has been extraordinary, expanding our already thriving global football community.”
Beyond its console and premium PC versions, EA Sports FC’s mobile edition has achieved record-breaking results, with 2 million installs on its very first day and a subsequent growth to 11 million within its initial 10 days. Furthermore, engagement with FC Online has seen a boost.
Likewise, its global esports circuit, FC Pro, has broken registration records. This year, EA Sports unveiled the revamped esports ecosystem, featuring a $1 million competition circuit spanning 10 regions, along with a robust open bracket component that appears to be driving higher engagement.
As for sales, in September, research firm Circana reported that EA Sports FC 24 secured the third-best selling title of the month, narrowly trailing Starfield and Mortal Kombat 1. However, it’s important to note that this data only encompasses the first two days of sales since the game’s release on September 29.
In the year-to-date rankings, EA Sports FC occupies the fourteenth position in best-selling titles. It falls short of Madden NFL 24 and MLB: The Show 23, ranking third and tenth, respectively.
