Video games: Konami will not retain the rights to the UEFA Champions League beyond 2017-18

The Japanese video game publisher Konami and UEFA will end their collaboration with the UEFA Champions League license at the end of the 2017-18 season, European football's governing body said on 18/04/2018.

Konami has held the exclusive licenses to use the images and logos of the UEFA Champions League and Europa League for its Pro Evolution Soccer video game since 2009. The Japanese publisher extended its rights for the 2015-2018 cycle on the 12/06/2015.

"The 2018 UEFA Champions League final in Kyiv (UKR, on 26/05/2018) will mark the end of a very successful and fruitful 10-year partnership between Konami and the UEFA Champions League.The UEFA Champions League offered the perfect media and activation platform for Konami and has been a key feature within its world-renowned Pro Evolution Soccer video game," said the European body.

UEFA has not yet awarded the rights to use the images and logos of the Champions League and Europa League to video game publishers for the 2018-2021 cycle, as of 19/04/2018.

Konami, which held the Euro 2016 license, could extend its collaboration with…