EA Sports is paying off Premier League refs

The reffff-er-reeee’s a… n official partner of EA Sports.

EA has signed a long-term agreement with Professional Game Match Officials Limited that will run until the 2018/19 season and see match officials sporting EA Sports-branded kit wear.

The new garb was seen for the first time in last night’s 1-1 draw between West Brom and Everton. It will shortly feature in the upcoming Capital One Cup and FA Cup weekends.

EA says the deal grants it access to some 2,700 professional football matches every season with a total global TV audience of over 5bn people. It will see promo material feature on referee’s and assistant referee’s shirts, training gear, PGMOL branding and PR material .

This is an exciting new partnership for EA Sports and our millions of fans,” EA’s executive producer for FIFA David Rutter said. Our FIFA games are built on connection to the real-world of football, and having the top-tier referees and officials carrying the EA Sports brand into matches each season is a great extension of this connection.”

PGMOL general manager Mike Riley added: They are a great fit for PGMOL given their deep connection with football. This is also good for the long-term development of refereeing in this country as it ensures we can continue to invest significantly in the training and development of officials at all levels of the game.”