Konami signs PES partnership with Fulham FC

Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. has announced it has entered an exclusive global partnership with Fulham FC, one of London's oldest and most iconic clubs, for its Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) series.

Fulham were founded in 1879 and are London's oldest professional football club. Having just missed out on promotion last season, the club are looking to the new season to build on their progress of the last few years and the club's reputation for the development of talented young players.

KONAMI and Fulham have entered an exclusive agreement that will see the club perfectly recreated within the publisher's forthcoming PES 2018. The full squad will be recreated in game with all kits and players to be perfectly replicated via Konami's full body-scanning process, while KONAMI will also have an extensive presence within the club's stadium, as part of the match day experience, and within the club's progressive youth academy.

PES 2018 branding will feature on the back of the club's new home, away, third and goalkeeping kits, and will be main sponsor of the Youth Team's kit, showcasing the publisher's support of the club's enviable talent base. KONAMI and PES 2018 branding will also be prominent across the ad boards around the pitch and within branded areas inside the ground, and on ball boy kits on match days. KONAMI will also be taking over Fulham's Family Zone area, with gaming set-ups showcasing the club's inclusion in-game available for young fans to experience. PES 2018 will also be available in the club store and online eStore with an exclusive Fulham FC slipcase, and KONAMI is committed to working closely with the club's online and social media teams to create cross-promotional campaigns including PES branding within match day team announcements and goal updates.

The agreement comes as KONAMI continues to extend the range of its in-game partners for the PES series. PES 2018 sees the publisher unveil an extensive range of new elements that build upon the previously laid foundations. Centred on the concept that PES 2018 is "Where Legends are Made", the new game has more additions than any other in the series for the last ten years, including new ways to play, a PC version to the standard of the leading console iterations, and an unrivalled gameplay experience.

"Fulham is a club with an enviable heritage and a very bright future," commented Jonas Lygaard, Senior Director - Brand & Business Development for Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. "It is a club that is on the cusp of very good things, with a policy that continues to nurture its youth prospects. KONAMI is extremely happy to be working closely with such a progressive club. We will enjoy having prominent branding position on match-days, making full use of the Family Zone, and are proud to be presented on the front of the Youth Team's kits, as well as a key sponsor to the first XI."

"We welcome KONAMI as a new partner to the on-going development of Fulham's growth," commented Casper Stylsvig, Chief Revenue Officer for Fulham. "PES 2018 is seen as the definitive football title for home systems and mobile users, and we are delighted to be so well represented within such an illustrious game. We also welcome KONAMI to Craven Cottage via its sponsorship commitments and as a new back of shirt partner for the first team and front of shirt partner for our exciting Youth Team squads."

PES 2018 will be released for PlayStation®4, Xbox One™, PlayStation®3 and Xbox360™ on September 14th. The game will also be available via Steam in a version that has undergone substantial improvements in terms of aesthetics and content, ensuring the game enjoys parity with the current gen formats.