Brett Molina

news

Social games company Zynga is making a play for the sports fan.

Zynga announced Thursday that it reached deals with the National Football League and professional golfer Tiger Woods on a series of games for mobile devices.

The golf game starring Woods, launching in 2015, is part of an exclusive multiyear partnership that will deliver a title available on multiple mobile platforms.

Woods had previously partnered with Electronic Arts on a series of console video games based on the PGA Tour, but ended that relationship last October.

"We perceive him to be the most iconic athlete in the world," says Zynga CEO Don Mattrick. "When he's participating and competing, everyone watches and pays attention."

Meanwhile, shares of Zynga sank more than 7% in after-hours trading Thursday after the company reported second-quarter earnings after the markets closed. Zynga raked in revenue of $153 million, below forecasts, and revised its full-year guidance with annual bookings — the amount of money spent by users — between $695 million and $725 million, down from the original forecast of $770 million to $810 million.

Zynga locked up licensing agreements with the NFL and its Players Association to launch several mobile football games bearing the brand.

The first title, NFL Showdown, is a manager-style mobile game in which players build out their rosters with real stars from NFL teams.

The games will be developed by Zynga's studio based in Orlando, and feature designers who worked on sports games including EA's Tiger Woods PGA Tour franchise.

"Sports are evergreen," says Mattrick, who worked at EA before moving to Microsoft in 2007. "People love it, and I think we can bring something unique to the party."

Sports isn't the only space in which Zynga is branching out. The company is also working with Warner Bros. on a mobile "runner" — similar to games such as Temple Run — that features Looney Tunes cartoon characters.

All three deals plant Zynga in new territory as Mattrick wraps up his first year as head of the company. One of Mattrick's early goals has been shifting focus to mobile properties. In an interview with USA TODAY in April, Mattrick said 75% of Zynga's new titles were built for smartphones and tablets.

The company's first game under Mattrick was the April launch of Farmville 2: Country Escape for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. According to analytics service App Annie, it's among the 30 top-grossing games for both iPhone and iPad.

"We're building something for multiple years, and we're off to a good start," says Mattrick.

So far, Mattrick says he's pleased with Zynga's direction since he took over, but notes there is still more work to be done. "Our teams are working hard, and I believe we're going to get there."

Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.