# EA Sports

> brand of Electronic Arts

**Wikidata**: [Q869106](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q869106)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EA_Sports)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/ea-sports

## Summary
EA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts that creates and publishes sports video games. Established in 1991, the brand serves as a major label for the company's development and marketing of titles based on professional athletic leagues. It operates within the video game industry, producing long-running franchises such as Madden NFL, FIFA (now EA Sports FC), NHL, and NBA Live.

## Key Facts
- **Inception:** 1991
- **Parent Company:** Electronic Arts (founded May 28, 1982)
- **Industry:** Video game industry
- **Headquarters Location:** United States; associated with development operations in Burnaby, Canada
- **Website:** https://www.easports.com/
- **Aliases:** EA Sports Network, EASN
- **Primary Franchises:** Madden NFL, FIFA/EA Sports FC, NHL, NBA Live, UFC, F1
- **Notable Recent Titles:** EA Sports FC 24 (2023), FIFA 23 (2022), Madden NFL 23 (2022), NHL 23 (2022)
- **Parent Company Employees:** 11,000 (as of March 31, 2021)

## FAQs
**Who owns and operates EA Sports?**
EA Sports is a brand owned and operated by Electronic Arts, an American video game company headquartered in Redwood Shores, United States.

**What major sports franchises are published under the EA Sports brand?**
The brand publishes major franchises including Madden NFL (American football), the FIFA series and EA Sports FC (association football), NHL (ice hockey), NBA Live (basketball), and EA Sports UFC (mixed martial arts).

**When did EA Sports originate?**
The brand was established in 1991, while its parent company, Electronic Arts, was founded in 1982.

**Does EA Sports produce games outside of traditional team sports?**
Yes, the brand produces games for boxing (Fight Night series), golf (Tiger Woods PGA Tour), racing (F1, NASCAR), and snowboarding (SSX Blur).

**What is the relationship between EA Sports and the FIFA series?**
EA Sports developed the FIFA series from its early titles like *FIFA International Soccer* (1993) through *FIFA 23* (2022), after which the franchise was rebranded to *EA Sports FC*, beginning with *EA Sports FC 24* (2023).

## Why It Matters
EA Sports holds a dominant position in the sports video game market, influencing how millions of fans engage with professional sports leagues. By securing licensing deals with major organizations such as the NFL, FIFA (historically), and the NHL, the brand creates the definitive digital simulations for these sports. Its annual release cycles drive significant economic activity within the video game industry and set technical standards for sports simulation graphics and physics. The transition from the FIFA branding to EA Sports FC marks a significant shift in the company's strategy to control its own intellectual property while maintaining its massive player base.

## Notable For
- Developing the *Madden NFL* series continuously since the early 1990s, with entries ranging from *John Madden Football '93* to *Madden NFL 23*.
- Producing the *FIFA* association football series for nearly three decades, including titles like *FIFA 07*, *FIFA 14*, *FIFA 17*, and *FIFA 23*.
- Creating the *NHL* hockey series, with recent installments such as *NHL 14*, *NHL 16*, and *NHL 23* developed by EA Vancouver.
- Publishing the *Fight Night* boxing series, including *Fight Night Round 3* and *Fight Night Champion*.
- Expanding into mixed martial arts with the *EA Sports UFC* series.
- Developing the *NBA Live* basketball series, spanning from *NBA Live 95* to *NBA Live 16*.
- Producing racing simulations like the *F1* series (e.g., *F1 22*) and *NASCAR* titles (e.g., *NASCAR 99*, *NASCAR 2000*).
- Managing the *FIFA Manager* series, including *FIFA Manager 14*.
- Publishing *EA Sports College Football*, a series dedicated to American college football.

## Body

### Corporate Identity and Ownership
EA Sports operates as a primary brand of Electronic Arts, an American video game company founded on May 28, 1982. Electronic Arts is headquartered in Redwood Shores, United States, and employs thousands of people, with reported counts of 8,400 in 2015, 8,900 in 2019, and 11,000 as of March 31, 2021. The EA Sports brand itself was established in 1991 and is also known by the aliases EA Sports Network and EASN. It maintains an official web presence at easports.com. The brand is geographically associated with Burnaby, Canada, where EA Vancouver is located, a studio credited with developing titles like *NHL 21* and *NHL 23*.

### Association Football (Soccer) Portfolio
The brand is widely recognized for its extensive catalog of association football games. This includes the main *FIFA* series, which began with titles like *FIFA International Soccer* (1993) and evolved through annual releases such as *FIFA 97*, *FIFA 2001*, *FIFA 07*, *FIFA 14*, *FIFA 17*, and *FIFA 23*. The series also includes spin-offs like *FIFA Street* and *FIFA Street 2*, as well as management simulations like *FIFA Manager 06*, *FIFA Manager 13*, and *FIFA Manager 14*.

EA Sports has also produced official tournament games, including *2002 FIFA World Cup*, *2006 FIFA World Cup*, *2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa*, *UEFA Euro 2004*, *UEFA Euro 2008*, and *UEFA Euro 2012*. In 2023, following the conclusion of its partnership with FIFA, the brand released *EA Sports FC 24*, marking a new era for its football titles. Other related titles include *The F.A. Premier League Football Manager 2002* and the free-to-play *FIFA World*.

### American Football Titles
EA Sports is the publisher of the *Madden NFL* series, the premier American football video game franchise. The series has a long history, with early entries including *John Madden Football* (1990), *John Madden Football '93*, and *Madden Football 64*. Annual releases continued with *Madden NFL 06*, *Madden NFL 07*, *Madden NFL 10*, *Madden NFL 13*, *Madden NFL 17*, *Madden NFL 21*, and *Madden NFL 23*. The brand also oversees the *EA Sports College Football* series, catering to the collegiate level of the sport.

### Hockey and Basketball Titles
In ice hockey, the brand produces the *NHL* series. Notable titles include *NHLPA Hockey '93*, *NHL 95*, *NHL 97*, *NHL 06*, *NHL 07*, *NHL 14*, *NHL 16*, *NHL 18*, *NHL 20*, and *NHL 23*. The basketball portfolio is headlined by the *NBA Live* series, featuring games such as *NBA Live 95*, *NBA Live 96*, *NBA Live 97*, *NBA Live 2000*, *NBA Live 06*, *NBA Live 07*, *NBA Live 08*, *NBA Live 15*, and *NBA Live 16*. The brand also attempted to reboot the basketball genre with *NBA Elite 11*.

### Racing, Combat, and Other Sports
Beyond team sports, EA Sports has a significant presence in racing and combat sports. The *F1* series includes titles like *F1 2000*, *F1 2001*, *F1 2002*, *F1 Championship Season 2000*, *F1 Challenge '99-'02*, and *F1 22*. The brand also published NASCAR games such as *NASCAR 99*, *NASCAR 2000*, *NASCAR 06: Total Team Control*, *NASCAR SimRacing*, and *NASCAR Thunder 2004*. Other racing titles include *Mario Andretti Racing* and *Triple Play 2000*.

In combat sports, the *Fight Night* series features *Fight Night 2004*, *Fight Night Round 2*, *Fight Night Round 3*, *Fight Night Round 4*, and *Fight Night Champion*. The brand also publishes *EA Sports UFC*. Additional sports titles include *Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09* (golf), *Grand Slam Tennis* (tennis), and *SSX Blur* (snowboarding).

### Industry Context and Affiliations
EA Sports is situated firmly within the business and video game industry sectors. It is affiliated with various entities, including Ben Buckley. The brand's parent company, Electronic Arts, also publishes the *Need for Speed* racing franchise, which is often associated with the broader EA ecosystem. The brand's influence extends to partnerships with major sports leagues and organizations, as evidenced by its licensed titles featuring real-world teams and athletes from Inter Milan to Max Verstappen.

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
2. MusicBrainz
3. BBC Things
4. [Source](http://km.aifb.kit.edu/services/crunchbase/)
5. [Source](https://golden.com/wiki/EA_Sports-3K4PK)
6. YouTube API
7. [EA Sports - GameSpot](https://www.gamespot.com/companies/ea-sports/)
8. Video Games Chronicle