EA enters into new multi-year deals with both sports.
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Electronic Arts provided two fresh announcements today. One announcement may delight MMA fans while the other will be for fans of hockey and the NHL. EA announced that they have entered into multi-year deal extensions with both the UFC and the NHL (and NHLPA).

This news about the UFC comes after EA Sports UFC 4 was released to fairly substantial numbers. Compared to the previous release, UFC 4 saw a 125% increase in the number of fights fans played. Specifically, fans engaged in more than 64 million simulated fights, an increase over EA Sports UFC 3.

This UFC deal extends the partnership between EA and UFC by another 10 years.

“We’re thrilled to extend our more than 10-year partnership with the UFC as we continue to build one of the fastest-growing sports franchises in the world, based on the rapidly expanding sport of MMA,” said Cam Weber, Executive Vice President & Group GM, EA SPORTS. “This agreement will allow us to push the creative boundaries of mixed martial arts video games and connect millions more around the world to the culture of the sport.”
On the hockey side of things, that too is a multi-year extension. However, unlike the UFC extension, we are not sure just how many years this NHL partnership is for. It's probably a safe bet to assume that the extension is also for another 10 years.

EA Sports NHL 21 has reportedly seen more daily active players at launch than at any other point in the previous three years. That's not too shabby when you realize NHL 21 was only released on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, leaving PC owners out to dry. There is also no plan for a next-gen upgrade for NHL 21. Hey, maybe we'll see a PC and next-gen release in 2021 when EA Sports NHL 22 is released?

“EA SPORTS NHL continues to introduce new fans to the sport through its realistic and entertaining approach to the game,” said Brian Jennings, NHL Chief Brand Officer & Senior Executive Vice President. “The past eight months illustrates how EA is a critical extension to real-world sports, as fans turned toEA SPORTS NHLto play and watch hockey while we temporarily paused during the pandemic. Our shared approach for competitive gaming has enabled the league to create a touchpoint to younger fans who may experience the NHL for the first time through EA SPORTS NHL. Sustained connection that enhances fandom is what EA delivers and we look forward to continuing the incredible partnership.”