Tiger: EA Sports Wants Wins And Soon!

Ben Klayman reports on CEO John Ricitiello making it clear at a media summit that the brand is nice and all, and glad you are making mac-and-cheese and loving it, but uh, you need to win. It's not personal, just business!

"We have no plans to move away from him, but it's a business relationship on the basis of we make the best golf game and he's the best golfer," he added. "Both of those things need to be true in the long run for the partnership to make sense."

And...

"He sort of stuck with us for a very long time and we made great business together," Riccitiello said, "and we're willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for a period of time."

Ah, what a sweetheart! Tiger, you stuck it out with us for a very long time while we tried to get our business going and we'll do the same for you...for a period of time.

Comments

[pt]

even Nike will do the same ...tis all about$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[Walter]

Nothing personal.

[Joel]

It could be like the Madden cover. Every year there is a new person, possibly the #1 player or money leader. Might make it more interesting.

[Steven T.]

My EA stock needs a lot of TW wins. It's dived liked he has.

[Bar Fedora]

NFW that EA cuts Tiger loose, they don't have the balls.

[digsouth]

That reminds me. I haven't played duck hunt in a while.

[rob]

"That reminds me. I haven't played duck hunt in a while..."
Thanks for the morning laugh.

Time to dust off my Arnold Palmer Links 2001 CD.

[thusgone]

seriously now, who are they going to replace him with? do you think the golf gamers are going to shell out for "ian poulter pga tour golf?"

[Ky Laffoon's Ghost]

Compared to the other games, "Kill the Weasel" and such, how big a part of the EA portfolio is Tiger Woods Golf? It already takes 4-5 clicks to find Eldrick when you go to their website. Last time I looked Stewart Cink was pictured on the Nike website, Golf Division. How much does golf really mean to the Nike bottom line? And would Phil Knight really miss golf over the long term, as opposed to a personal connection to Tiger?

[jjshaka]

rob-
Still have my Links 2001 on my old Dell- great old game.
Best part is the real life motion of the golfers playing like Arnie and a young Sergio- none of that crappy EA cartoon renditions of the golfers.

[AK47]

Ky, would Phil Knight really miss Tiger??? Are you kidding? Nike Golf went from zero to about 750 mill in revenues and you think it was, who, Justin Leonard moving that merchandise? Stewy Cink??

[CharlieG]

AK, I think what he's talking about is vs. total revenue. Nike's total revenue for last fiscal year was over $19 Billion, if I read the statement right. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if I'm right that means golf is less than 4 percent of total revenue for Nike. Could nike kill that and survive? Could the R&D and other dollars they invest in golf and make as much or more elsewhere?

[Psycho]

They've already got some sort of tie up with McIlroy. I believe he has been recored by them so that he can be the second "real" golfer (after TW) to appear in the game with real, measured motion.

[Del the Funk]

AK you are correct, Nike Golf would never ever have gotten this far without Tiger as their top guy. CharlieG, you are also correct in that Nike could shut down their golf business and it would not even create a blip on the earnings screen. The golf division is basically immaterial to Nike's earnings and overall business.