It appears as though Konami are really getting into their stride now when it comes to acquiring football clubs, their branding, likenesses and more. Of course, if a football game has a serious level of realism, it’s going to be an attractive proposition for players, and Konami have strengthened their offering by penning deals with Inter, Milan and FC Bayern.
Konami, who made their name in the football sim arena with Pro Evolution Soccer, lovingly referred to as PES, underwent a bit of a rebrand recently when they introduced eFootball, which is designed to compete with the FIFA series from EA Sports. And, you could suggest they have stolen a bit of a march on their rivals by being able to secure deals with the likes of Milan, Inter and Bayern, who are all world-famous football clubs.
The deals that Konami have with all three of the clubs are multi-year agreements, which means that the trio will now feature in several upcoming releases of eFootball, which is available to play on multiple platforms, including console and mobile. And as part of the agreement, Konami will have access to commercial, imagery and activation rights.
The agreement with FC Bayern isn’t a new one between the German giants and Konami. The two have been working together since 2019, and now the contract is signed for the relationship to continue for the next several years. And as a result, Bayern’s Allianz Arena will be included in the game, with eFootball the only video game to have the rights for it.
Speaking about the agreement, FC Bayern board member for marketing Andreas Jung said, “We have already been able to create a big wave together in the first years of our partnership. We want to continue surfing it. We are looking forward to the future.”
The finer details of the agreement with both Inter and Milan are similar to what is in place with FC Bayern. For example, with Milan, Konami will have the rights for the San Siri, complete facial scans of all players in 3D, licensed kits and Konami are also becoming the first Official Training Wear Partner of the Italian champions.
You could suggest the above represents a move away from bookmakers’ sponsorship, even though this does relatively little to impact the volume of bets on football, including football betting online. And, it will undoubtedly be a good thing for the younger players of eFootball, as they won’t be exposed to gambling advertisements and the like.
Inter’s agreement with Konami again includes the San Siro, and eFootball will also sponsor the Italian team’s training kits. What also stands out as part of the agreement is that the club’s Youth Development Centre will now be known as the Konami Youth Development Centre in memory of Giacinto Facchetti. It’s another statement of intent from Konami with their eFootball brand, as they look to seriously rival EA Sports and FIFA once again.