FIFA launches FIFA Sound to bridge football fans, music, players and artists through new platform

FIFA is launching a new entertainment platform designed to bridge the space between football fans, music enthusiasts, players, artists, and the game, with the introduction of FIFA Sound.

“FIFA’s vision is to make football truly global, accessible and inclusive. The crossover between football and music underscores this wider cultural relevance. Both are universal languages and have the power to create unrivalled emotions. It’s a natural fit to bring them together,” said Jean-François Pathy, FIFA’s director of marketing.

“It’s been fantastic to see the enthusiasm around the launch of this strategy, and we are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead to connect people through inspiring human stories.”

FIFA Sound is kicking off with the launch of an eight-episode podcast series. Hosted by Liam Payne and co-hosted by sports broadcaster Jaydee Dyer, the FIFA PlayOn Podcast pairs star football players with award-winning musicians for unforgettable conversations.

In each episode, celebrated footballers from around the world will discuss transformative moments from their careers – on and off the pitch – through the songs that have provided a soundtrack to their lives. The players will be joined by an award-winning musician who inspired them, as they explore the interplay between music and football in their lives.

Payne said: “I can’t wait for everyone to hear what we’ve been working on with FIFA. The PlayOn Podcast has been such a journey – it’s been awesome having these incredible players and special guests come together and exchange life experiences from both on and off the pitch, all through the lens of music.”

PlayOn is the first of many new initiatives that FIFA will be launching in 2021 and beyond as part of its strategic collaboration with Universal Music Group for Brands – a division of Universal Music Group.

Olivier Robert-Murphy, the executive vice president of Universal Music Group for Brands, added: “We’re delighted to be able to launch this collaboration between FIFA and Universal Music Group, which brings together two of the world’s biggest and most influential passion points – football and music – to create a series of unique fan experiences.

“Starting with the launch of the PlayOn Podcast series, these initiatives will showcase the symbiosis and shared bonds between the world’s best footballers and musicians alongside the fans that idolise them globally.”

PlayOn made its debut on January 13th this year and is available to stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and other podcast players.

New episodes will be released weekly on Wednesdays. Playlists featuring the songs chosen by each player will be posted on Spotify for listeners to enjoy.

Poetic Brands signs FIFA for spring/summer apparel collection

The apparel licensee, Poetic Brands, has added the international governing body of football, FIFA, to its portfolio of brands with the launch of a new range of FIFA themed clothing. The range will capitalise on the body’s historical marques and logos, the kind of which have been recognised worldwide for more than 100 years.

The Poetic Brands collection will feature t-shirts, sweatshirts, and nightwear and will launch into the UK with retailers stocking ranges from spring/summer 2021.

Founded in 1904, FIFA is the umbrella organisation of its members, currently 211 national football associations. Its objectives include developing football around the world, staging international competitions, and ensuring that the game of football is available to all who wish to participate. 

The member associations of FIFA take part in the FIFA World Cup every four years, with the next edition taking place in 2022, providing a key selling point after the launch of the clothing line.

“Together with Poetic Brands, we’ll be bringing new energy to FIFA’s beloved historical emblems,” said FIFA head of licensing and retail, Sarah Bohner. “We look forward to helping fans relive and celebrate their favourite tournaments through unique, creative designs.”

Elliott Matthews, executive director of Poetic Brands, added: “We are really excited to be adding FIFA to our portfolio of properties. The brand is instantly recognisable not only to football fans, but to the vast majority of consumers. We are sure the collection will reach fans of the game throughout the UK and prove popular with supporters of all clubs.”

Mobile games publisher Exient wants to be the go-to partner for IP owners

The independent mobile games publisher, Exient is looking to position itself as the go-to mobile games partner for IP owners in the games and entertainment space.

Headed up by Dave Hawkins, the firm has success over the last 12 months with the self-published Lemmings Puzzle Adventure. It had previously built its business providing work-for-hire services on IP such as FIFA, Angry Birds, F1, and more.

Earlier this year, the company unveiled a new corporate brand identity, bringing its Sad Puppy and Donut labels under its new Exient Publishing banner. It is now expanding its headcount across offices in the UK and Malta to support the development and publishing of self-funded mobile games based on IP from the worlds of games, TV, and entertainment.

Exient already has several titles lined up for 2021.

Donut Publishing will remain as a legal entity in the UK in order to service existing titles, however all new titles will be published through Exient Publishing going forward. In addition to development roles, the company is focusing its recruitment on marketing, user acquisition and community management to support its publishing activities.

“The success we’ve experienced with Lemmings Puzzle Adventure has given us the confidence to double down on our publishing activity, so bringing everything under a single Exient Publishing brand was the next logical step in our evolution,” said Exient COO Nusrat Shah.

“We have a pipeline of self-funded projects for 2021 based on really exciting IPs and we’re keen to work with IP holders and brands interested in taking their properties to mobile platforms.”