Arsenal have announced a new commercial partnership with PES developers Konami.
The new partnership will grant Konami deeper access to the Arsenal players and the Emirates Stadium so their likeness can be used in PES.
PES, which has a history of using fake names and kits for clubs due to not having the right licenses, did have Arsenal in the 2018 edition.
https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/917691189159116800
We're delighted to announce an official partnership with @Arsenal. #PES2018 https://t.co/dfTVYITDyM
— Pro Evolution Soccer (@officialpes) October 10, 2017
Konami are now able to recreate the entire first-team squad and the Emirates Stadium using their 3D scanning technology. They claim in their statement that Arsenal have been lagging behind their rivals when it comes to commercial deals.
“Our working relationship with KONAMI to date has been extremely successful from a licensing perspective and we are delighted to extend this and welcome them as an official partner,” said Vinai Venkatesham, Chief Commercial Officer at Arsenal.
“We look forward to getting started in the next phase of our relationship with KONAMI and creating some fun and exciting content that both Arsenal and wider football fans will enjoy.”
This new partnership is a step in the right direction, but still sees Arsenal some way behind the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool. Commercial partnerships are a valuable source of income for clubs and can bolster their spending in the transfer market.
Arsenal’s current kit deal, shirt sponsorship and stadium naming rights deals, amongst others, are unfortunately worth less than some of their rivals’ deals. It’s one area of the club that chief executive Ivan Gazidis and his team are under pressure to improve.