What Sports Interactive does

Sports Interactive is a UK-based video game developer founded in 1994 and headquartered in London, best known for the Football Manager series of football management simulations. The studio has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of SEGA Europe Limited since 2005 and operates as the development arm while SEGA handles publishing, marketing, and distribution across global storefronts. Football Manager 26, launched in November 2025 across PC/Mac, Console (Xbox/PS5), Touch (Nintendo Switch), and Mobile, is built on the Unity engine (PC/Console/Touch editions) and represents the franchise's first title to include women's football alongside men's football within a single save file.

The company's core technology stack comprises a proprietary match engine with AI-driven tactical systems and animation blending, volumetric motion capture sourced from Hawk-Eye Innovations, in-house bespoke motion capture, and a 30+ year proprietary player database covering 100,000+ players rated across more than 30 technical, mental, and physical attribute categories. FM26 introduces a women's football database of 36,000+ players and 5,000 non-players built from scratch by a dedicated 40-person research team. Supporting features include the FMPedia in-game glossary, TransferRoom integration for recruitment workflows, and a Dynamic Highlight Mode that adjusts presentation intensity based on match context. Distribution spans 9+ platforms including Steam, Epic Games Store, Microsoft Store, Xbox (with Game Pass), PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Apple Arcade, and Netflix Games, alongside physical retail box copies for PC/Mac.

Sports Interactive monetizes through one-time license game sales as the primary stream, supplemented by non-intrusive in-game advertising via an exclusive three-year Gadsme partnership (FM26 onward), subscription placement on Apple Arcade and Netflix Games, and professional data licensing to football clubs and data analytics businesses. Licensing partnerships with the SPFL (extended through 2028/29), FIFA (World Cup 2026), and individual women's football clubs (Angel City FC) anchor content authenticity. The audience is dominated by individual gaming consumers across casual-to-hardcore segments, with secondary commercial relationships to licensed leagues and football clubs using FM data for scouting and recruitment. Marketing is product-led and community-driven via the FMFC membership program, official forums, and unified @FootballManager social channels across Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.

Name

Sports Interactive

Legal name

Sports Interactive Limited

Website

https://footballmanager.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Sports Interactive is a UK-based video game developer and SEGA subsidiary that builds the Football Manager series — football management simulations sold globally across PC, console, mobile, and subscription platforms to gaming consumers, with secondary B2B data licensing to professional football clubs and leagues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Simulation Video Games

NAICS

Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports/Racing Game Studios (MPAFAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Strategy/4X/Management Game Studios (MPAFAAAK)

Keywords

• Football management simulation
• Video game development
• Sports simulation games
• Interactive entertainment
• Football database licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Game Sales: One-time purchase of Football Manager 26 across multiple platforms (PC/Mac, Console, Touch, Mobile). Each platform version sold separately. Available on Steam, Epic Games Store, Xbox (including Game Pass), PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Apple Arcade, Netflix, and Microsoft Store.
2. In-Game Advertising: Non-intrusive in-game advertisements delivered via Gadsme partnership, generating new revenue streams through subtle brand integration within the game environment.
3. Professional Data Licensing: Database of football professional data licensed to third parties including football clubs and data analytics businesses for scouting and team development purposes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sports Interactive develops and publishes the Football Manager series, a football management simulation franchise available across PC/Mac, Xbox, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, iOS/Android, Apple Arcade, and Netflix Games. The company's core offering is the annual Football Manager game release, supported by a proprietary football database with 30+ attribute ratings per player, a custom match engine with AI-driven tactical systems, and a Hawk-Eye-powered motion capture pipeline. The company also licenses its professional football data to third parties including football clubs and data analytics businesses.

Product overview

Sports Interactive develops the Football Manager series, a comprehensive football management simulation portfolio. The core FM26 suite consists of four distinct products: Football Manager 26 for PC/Mac (the flagship with full features), FM26 Console for Xbox/PS5, FM26 Touch for Nintendo Switch, and FM26 Mobile for iOS/Android. All editions share the same database and core gameplay but are optimized for their respective platforms, with FM26 Mobile being the only edition not yet on Unity engine. The suite also includes FMFC (Football Manager Fans Club), a membership program offering exclusive content and rewards, and FMPedia, an integrated glossary feature. Key new features for FM26 include the debut of women's football across all editions, FIFA World Cup 2026 licensed international management, and the Unity engine powering enhanced graphics on PC, Console, and Touch versions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FMFC: The exclusive membership club for Football Manager fans, offering early access to feature drops, news, game updates, and member-only rewards and competitions.
• Football Manager 26
• FM26 Console
• FM26 Touch
• FM26 Mobile

Products and services

• Football Manager 26 (PC/Mac) The flagship football management simulation for Windows and macOS, featuring the Unity engine with enhanced graphics, women's football integration, FIFA World Cup 2026 licensed content, international management mode, and cross-platform save compatibility. Targeted at PC gamers and football management enthusiasts.
• Football Manager 26 Console (Xbox/PS5) Console-optimized version of the football management simulation for Xbox and PlayStation 5, featuring the Unity engine with enhanced graphics, women's football integration, and FIFA World Cup 2026 licensed content. Targeted at console gamers.
• Football Manager 26 Touch (Nintendo Switch) Nintendo Switch-optimized version bringing the Unity era of Football Manager to the handheld console. Includes TransferRoom integration for enhanced transfer market tools (Requirements and Pitch Opportunities), redesigned UI with optimized navigation tiles, and full women's football functionality.
• Football Manager 26 Mobile Mobile version of the football management simulation for iOS and Android devices, the only title in the FM26 suite not switching to Unity at this time. Targeted at mobile gamers.
• FMFC (Football Manager Fan Club) Exclusive paid membership club for Football Manager fans providing early access to feature drops, game news, personalized content, insider tips, and member-only rewards and competitions. Members can link their Steam or Epic accounts for a tailored experience.
• Football Professionals Data Licensing Database of football professional data licensed to third parties including football clubs and data analytics businesses for scouting, recruitment, and team development purposes. Data covers 30+ attribute categories across technical, mental, and physical dimensions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.4 million SPFL club saves in FM24, demonstrating strong engagement with licensed leagues
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FIFAecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2026Partnership to launch Curaçao Challenge competition for FIFA World Cup 2026 in FM26. Players manage Curaçao national team with chance to win trip to Curaçao. Celebrates Curaçao becoming smallest nation to reach World Cup in 96-year history.
• Angel City FCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 November 2025Partnership to integrate ACFC into Football Manager 26 with women's football debut. ACFC will leverage FM's data metrics for scouting and recruitment, receive coaching resources, and fans will get exclusive content featuring players and staff. Collaboration framed as supporting global growth of women's football.
• GadsmeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 October 2025Three-year exclusive partnership for non-intrusive in-game advertisements in FM26, marking Gadsme's expansion into PC and Mac via Unity. Industry trend toward subtle in-game advertising enhances realism and generates new revenue streams.
• FIFAe (FIFA Esports)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 December 2024Partnership for FIFAe World Cup esports competition. SI joins Psyonix as partner for FIFAe's esports initiatives alongside FIFA's broader digital football gaming ecosystem strategy.
• Hawk-Eye InnovationscoreTechnology or IntegrationMotion capture partnership providing volumetric animations taken directly from real-life football matches. Animations encompass dribbles, passes, shots and more, used in FM26 match engine alongside SI's bespoke motion capture.
• SEGA Europe LimitedcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSEGA serves as publisher for Football Manager series. Sports Interactive is a subsidiary of SEGA with registered office at same London location. SEGA handles publishing, distribution, and marketing while SI handles development.
• Netflix GamesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetflix Gaming platform hosting FIFA World Cup - Launch Edition (developed by Delphi Interactive, not Sports Interactive). Separate from FM but part of FIFA's broader digital ecosystem strategy.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Konami Digital Entertainment (eFootball / PES): Konami's eFootball (formerly PES) franchise is the closest direct competitor in football video gaming, addressing overlapping football fans with annual releases and live-service updates. While eFootball is on-pitch rather than management-focused, the two franchises compete for the same football gaming wallet, particularly on console and mobile.
• EA Sports (EA FC / EA Sports FC): EA's EA FC franchise is the dominant football gaming IP globally and competes with Football Manager for football-engaged gaming time and spend, especially on console. Both titles rely on licensed real-world leagues, clubs, and FIFA-adjacent assets, and increasingly overlap in career mode / management features.
• Out of the Park Developments (OOTP Baseball): OOTP Developments' Out of the Park Baseball is the most analogous management simulation game to Football Manager in a different sport, sharing the same core gameplay loop (deep statistical simulation, scouting, long save-based careers, hardcore community). It is the closest category peer for evaluating product design, pricing, and community economics.
• Nordeus (Top Eleven): Nordeus's Top Eleven is a football management simulation built around the same 'manage a club' core loop as Football Manager, but as a free-to-play mobile-first title. It is the most direct free-to-play competitor in the football management genre and competes for the same persona of football fans who want lighter, ongoing engagement.

Broad incumbents

• SEGA Corporation (parent): SEGA is both Sports Interactive's parent and a broader incumbent across video game publishing (Sonic, Total War, Persona, Football Manager). It is comparable as the parent-publishing context, the route to market, and as a portfolio benchmark for a large diversified publisher that owns a leading PC gaming franchise.
• Take-Two Interactive: Take-Two is a major diversified game publisher (2K, Rockstar) with a sports portfolio (NBA 2K, WWE 2K) that competes for sports-gaming time and spend. It is a relevant broader incumbent benchmark for sports IP monetization, premium pricing, and annual release economics.
• Embracer Group: Embracer Group is a large diversified gaming holding company with multiple sports-adjacent and simulation franchises across owned studios. It is a relevant broader-incumbent peer for portfolio strategy, multi-platform distribution, and the economics of running multiple mid-sized development studios under one umbrella.
• NetEase (sports gaming portfolio): NetEase operates a broad portfolio of free-to-play sports and management titles, particularly in mobile, and is a relevant broader incumbent competitor for global sports gaming scale, mobile-first monetization, and Asian market reach in football-related gaming.

Emerging players

• Score! Hero / First Touch Games: First Touch Games' Score! Hero and Dream League Soccer are mobile-first football titles with lighter management-sim elements, and they target a casual football fan with management appetite. They compete for the same mobile football wallet but at a shallower simulation depth than Football Manager.
• New Star Games (New Star Manager): New Star Games' New Star Manager is an indie football management title designed for mobile, with a more arcade-style progression loop. It is a comparable smaller-scale management-sim competitor and a useful benchmark for indie pricing, monetization, and design choices in the football management category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SI_games
• YouTubeyoutube.com/subscription_center?add_user=sigamesofficial
• Facebookfacebook.com/footballmanager
• Instagraminstagram.com/footballmanager
• TikToktiktok.com/@footballmanager?lang=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sports-interactive

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sports Interactive