Flash forward to the 2030s or 2040s, and some industry analysts believe we may be watching the FIFA World Cup or F1’s Las Vegas Grand Prix on a broadcast produced and distributed by EA Sports.
Yes, the video game company. As Electronic Arts — the parent to the prolific brand behind Madden and most of the top sports games — went through the sale process and was ultimately taken private by a combination of the Saudi PIF and two private equity firms earlier this year, its actions signaled to analysts that it was thinking much bigger than video games.
Breadcrumbs dropped in Investor Day presentations, and financial filings show that EA expects significant growth in the latter part of the 2020s, even as its trajectory tapered off in 2025. At the same time, the launch of a new EA Sports Mobile App and the company’s deal to broadcast MLS games on the platform this fall signal the first signs of a push toward entering the live sports rights market.
In two connected pieces over the past week, entertainment advisor and investor Matthew Ball and Puck analyst Julia Alexander both speculated that EA could soon enter the marketplace to air live sports through its new distribution channels. As EA rolls out augmented reality and AI features in its games and on its app, Ball predicted that the company ultimately will aim to pair these products with live games:
“Taken together, one has to imagine that EA, with the backing of some of the most powerful and deep-pocketed funds in the world, hopes to buy/distribute traditional live sports rights and then augment it with interactivity and surround it with myriad other community features in order to generate more direct and indirect revenue than non-interactive rights buyers might achieve.”
Connecting the dots, Alexander noted that Epic Games has recently begun holding live concerts through the popular Fortnite video game. Meanwhile, EA has partnered with the NFL and NBCUniversal for Madden alternate casts of live NFL games.
Both analysts report that consumer spending on video games is in decline, which means that large, highly valued companies must now look to new avenues for growth. Clearly, live events are a target. And sports remain the top live events.
EA Sports executive Evan Dexter even hinted at the company’s shift toward augmented live sports in a recent interview with Sports Video Group.
“I think of it as the difference between alternate and augmented. We’re the only brand trying to augment football. In contrast, a lot of other brands — like The Simpsons, Toy Story, or Nickelodeon — are trying to alternate football for different audiences,” Dexter said.
“What we’re doing is an attempt to make the viewership experience better and more data-immersive for existing football fans, as opposed to leveraging outside IP to attract new ones.”
As sports leagues and the traditional networks they have historically partnered with seek new ways to connect with young audiences, EA could enter the live sports ecosystem with an advantage. The company has a large built-in audience of younger fans who may engage with sports through games and online communities, and is already building experiences that bring real-world sports action into its games.
Of course, the biggest leagues have been reticent to move too quickly toward exclusive virtual broadcasts. And distributors want exclusivity. EA Sports may have to start small, but if Ball and Alexander are correct, 2025 could mark a watershed year in which gaming and augmented reality take a significant step toward being integrated into the live sports viewing experience.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.