EA is Launching an In-Game Ad Service

by

Game companies have talked about adding ads to games for a long time, but so far, none have actually taken the risk and done it.

Until now, that is.

Electronic Arts (EA) just launched EA Advertising, and it does pretty much what you’d expect – it allows businesses to put ads for their brands inside video games. Here’s how EA is describing the service:

Integrate your brand directly into the games players already enjoy. Enhance their experience by creating interactive gameplay, seamlessly placing your products within the game, and offering even more engaging opportunities.

Unsurprisingly, EA is showing off games such as

Madden
,
EA FC
, and
College Football
, as natural fits, which honestly makes sense. We’ve already seen product placement countless times across movies, television, and more. However, the publisher also showcases The Sims and Skate as options for in-game advertising, which is where things can get complicated.

EA Advertising Could Open a Slippery Slope Very Quickly

The company’s website offers a first look at the possible in-game advertisements, which appear to be quite subtle.

You see sponsorships everywhere in sports these days: team uniforms feature brand logos like Visa, advertising around the field is sponsored by companies like Lowe’s, even quick updates during the game are brought to you by sponsors such as EA Sports. They also highlight standout players – the ‘Michelob Ultra Player of the Match’ award is a common example.

That last example wasn’t a typical ad from EA Sports, but it highlights how common advertising has become in live sports like the FIFA World Cup. Ads are truly everywhere now – even when nothing specific is being promoted! For instance, Levi’s Stadium had to cover up the Levi’s logo during World Cup games because the company wasn’t an official sponsor. And on NHL broadcasts, you see digital ads placed over the physical ads already visible around the ice rink.

EA Advertising’s ideas for advertising within live sports broadcasts – like sponsored replays or branded graphics – don’t really match what fans already enjoy watching. The biggest difference is the potential absence of gambling ads throughout a game. Considering the recent scandal involving Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who was allowed to play despite betting on games he played in, it’s unlikely we’ll see ads from companies like FanDuel or DraftKings during NFL or college football broadcasts anytime soon, if at all.

Ultimately, if FanDuel or DraftKings offered a significant amount of money, I guess anything could happen, and that’s when things could get complicated.

A Glimpse Into the EA Advertising Application

EA encourages you to take the next step with your brand. They invite you to connect with them to discuss how they can help you succeed.

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This is where companies can apply to work with EA Advertising and have their brands featured in our games. The application process is fairly typical. Here’s a look at the current advertising budgets:

  • $100K – $199K
  • $200K – $499K
  • $500K – $999K
  • $1M+

It’s quite expensive, and considering how quickly video game development costs are rising, I can see why a company like EA is trying this. However, I do have one concern, beyond all the other issues: the kinds of ads they’re allowing.

We currently offer esports sponsorships, advertising on mobile video and display ads, and in-game activations. The first two are fairly straightforward, but ‘in-game activations’ is unclear and potentially misleading. The EA advertising page only mentions attending live events like the Madden Bowl (sponsored by Visa) as an example. This raises questions about what ‘activations’ will look like in games like The Sims and Skate, which are also highlighted on the advertising page.

Could games start restricting access based on whether you’re a customer of certain brands? For example, might you need to be a Verizon subscriber to fully enjoy a park within a game, or have to shop at Crate & Barrel to unlock items from their in-game collection? Games already include ads, but where do we draw the line? We need to consider these possibilities because unlike product placement in movies, games could quickly introduce paywalls if this trend isn’t addressed.

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2026-06-15 15:43