EA has published its financial results for the first quarter of the fiscal year (Q1) and has lauded the impact of its EA Sports division, which produces popular franchises including EA Sports FC, College Football, and EA Sports F1.
The U.S. publisher outperformed expectations during Q1 after delivering net bookings of $1.3 billion. That represents a year-on-year increase of 3 percent and exceeds the high end of EA’s guidance range.
Full game net bookings increased by 27 percent year-on-year to $214 million—driven by momentum from Split Fiction and a resurgent Star Wars: Battlefront II. Live service net bookings fell by 1 percent year-on-year to $1.08 billion, although free-to-play shooter Apex Legends performed above expectations.
The company’s Global Football business also posted year-over-year growth, with FC Mobile delivering record quarterly net bookings.
Following the conclusion of the previous fiscal year, EA boss Andrew Wilson said the company was primed for “accelerated growth” just months after reportedly laying off hundreds of workers at Apex Legends developer Respawn Entertainment.
During the company’s latest earnings call, the long-serving CEO spent a good chunk of time waxing lyrical about the impact and potential of the company’s EA Sports business, which he described a “pillar of strength.”
Wilson said the success of the division’s Global Football franchise underscores EA’s ability to scale live content effectively and grow across multiple platforms—citing FC Mobile’s engagement-leading 50 million installs as evidence of that success.
He explained the company’s FC strategy, which will see it adopt a “community-centric approach” during the EA Sports FC 26 pre-launch campaign, will become a “blueprint” for building and growing massive online communities across its various EA Sports franchises and beyond.
“By seamlessly integrating content across console, PC, and mobile, we’re not only engaging core players but also scaling to new geographies and fan bases. It’s grounded in expanding how fans play, create, watch, and connect—bringing them closer to the sports they love through deeply immersive, socially driven experiences,” said Wilson.
He claimed EA’s long-term partnerships across its College, NFL, FC, F1, UFC, and NHL franchises are some of the most “valuable in sports entertainment” and said the publisher will work to deepen its relationship with their real-world counterparts.
In the case of Madden NFL, for instance, it’s an approach that will see EA adapt its gameplay systems and mechanics by leveraging a new AI-driven system trained on NFL game data. “EA Sports’ growth doesn’t just reflect the world of sports, it’s helping to shape it,” said Wilson.
“Through mobile expansion, creative tools, and deepening fandom, we are building massive online communities across what we believe will become the most valuable sports business in the world.”
It’s not entirely clear how Wilson would define the term “sports business,” but according to CNBC the most valuable sports ownership portfolio in the world is Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, which is currently valued at $21.2 billion. The group owns a number of popular sports teams including the Los Angeles Rams, Colorado Avalanche, Denver Nuggets and Arsenal. Big shoes to fill.