'Finally' say fans as Premier League licensing coming to Football Manager

Premier League licensing will be featured in Football Manager for the very first time in the 2025 edition of the annual title with a number of gamers on social media saying "finally".

The first Football Manager title as its known today released in 2005 after its previous life as Championship Manager which started in 1992 - the games are developed by studio Sports Interactive and are published by Sega.

Licensing of the top-flight in England has never been included in the games despite there being licensing for UEFA tournaments such as the Champions League, other top European leagues like Germany's Bundesliga, France's Ligue 1, all 72 clubs in the EFL and loads more.

The Premier League has been known as English Premier Division in the games.

But for the first time, Football Manager will have Premier league licensing in the 2025 game after a four-year partnership was agreed, which will include real-life logos, kits and player photos.

A follow-up Tweet by Football Manager said: "Future editions of FM will now see all 20 teams fully licensed, across all our titles, unlocking a place to create iconic Premier League moments of your own."

Football Manager games usually release in November so there's likely to still be a five month wait but fans have rejoiced on social media.

Miles Jacobson, Sports Interactive studio director, said: "Since Football Manager's inception, we have always wanted to work with the Premier League.

"The partnership isn't just about the huge in-game benefits it'll give our fans but also the opportunities it provides us to help with the incredible things that the Premier League and their clubs do off the pitch.

"That includes community and charitable work, two things we're enormously passionate about, as well as the ability to work with some of their existing partners."

Will Brass, the Premier League's chief commercial officer, said: "Football Manager has been a big part of the sporting landscape for decades and is loved and enjoyed by millions of fans around the world.

"We are thrilled that the Premier League will now feature even more prominently in the game, helping to deliver a deeper, more authentic experience for anybody who takes on the challenge of managing a Premier League club."

More information on how the Premier League will be integrated in the game, as well as partnerships between Sports Interactive and the league, will be revealed later in 2024.

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