NFL extends exclusive deal with EA Sports

  • Posted February 12th, 2008 at 07:06 EDT by
  • 3,310 views
  • 32 Comments

The Wall Street Journal has revealed that the NFL and EA Sports have come to terms to extend their exclusive deal until 2012, which gives EA Sports an additional three years to cash in on the Madden franchise.

The official announcement is expected to be made later today:

"At an EA briefing for analysts today, Mr. Moore plans announce the extension of a deal with the National Football League and the NFL Players Association through 2012 that will continue EA’s position as the exclusive maker of NFL videogames, including Madden. EA’s previous exclusive NFL deal was due to expire next year."

This doesn't come as a huge surprise but does disappoint some NFL football game fans as the Madden franchise no longer has competition, which in the video game industry, is usually what drives developers to produce the best product (just look at what competition has done for the FIFA franchise since Pro Evolution Soccer). The original deal commenced in 2005 and was set-up up for a five-year licensing deal to have the exclusive rights to NFL's teams, stadiums, and players.

Madden NFL celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and has pulled in more than USD 2 billion in sales over the franchise's life. Although widely successful yearly, sales of the 2008 version of Madden were down 13% last year compared with the previous version of Madden (2007) the previous year.

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  1. IRONMAIDEN

    • 7:35am GMT - February 12th, 2008

    no god, NO

  2. swanky2167 | Sanguinary

    • 7:55am GMT - February 12th, 2008

    3 more years of uninspired, no innovation football with bad music

  3. butchyz

    • 8:32am GMT - February 12th, 2008

    "BOOM! Tough actin' EA interactive!"  lol, new slogan for the next 3 years, cause every one knows that's the only thing that will change. No, seriously, perhaps they will get something right. Off subject but I do kinda miss NFL Blitz on the ps1. Sony should bring that to Playstation Network.

  4. gingo | gingo

    • 8:34am GMT - February 12th, 2008

    psn id: gingo.... dont play american football games but anything that EA gets the rights to for more years cant be good

  5. Psiri

    • 8:43am GMT - February 12th, 2008

    sucks .... they have been going down for a long time .... ea has !! Though I'm surprised the NFL extended it !

  6. makka2the | makkalakka

    • 8:59am GMT - February 12th, 2008

    this is terrible. how can u call yourself the best with no real competition? ea sports sucks.

  7. Muzikguy | Muzikguy

    • 9:26am GMT - February 12th, 2008

    Too bad most people, myself included, shun anything EA spits out. Football doesn't seem like something that should change year over year (gameplay-wise), but EA shouldn't have any say in my favorite sport. The NFL has made some extremely poor decisions lately if you ask me.

  8. liquidghost | LiquidGhost

    • 9:46am GMT - February 12th, 2008

    @muzikguy yeh i agree with you gameplay should change to much but graphics are something that should always change like the inviroment or soemthign people get tired of buying the same game year after year when the only thing that has changed on it is the rooster

  9. mfin17

    • 10:06am GMT - February 12th, 2008

    Crap.

  10. richkaos | richkaos

    • 10:15am GMT - February 12th, 2008

    its not even football for gods sake..........they run around with it under their arms then throw it........how can they call it football???

  11. Towelie

    • 10:38am GMT - February 12th, 2008

    This is bullcrap!!!! I am not going to give another dime to EA, I need about 3,000 more people to do the same..... I cannot make a difference on my own! Money talks BS walks!

  12. se7enthsign | Se7enthSign

    • 10:44am GMT - February 12th, 2008

    Today is a dark day for all NFL fans

  13. Daz | miami2399

    • 10:51am GMT - February 12th, 2008

    This sucks. EA obviously cant make goo football games. They must be paying a pretty penny for this.

  14. Ezcobar411

    • 10:56am GMT - February 12th, 2008

    bad news, bad news indeed.

  15. E__A__G__L__E | E__A__G__L__E

    • 11:00am GMT - February 12th, 2008

    You'll all buy it YEAR AFTER YEAR just watch n I have 2 say madden 5ucks

  16. MGDizzle | MGDizzle

    • 11:07am GMT - February 12th, 2008

    the last madden i bought was in 97, and i dont plan on buying one anytime soon. i hate madden.

  17. D3v1lwqer23 | MGDizzle

    • 11:38am GMT - February 12th, 2008

    Great, and I was so hoping to get into it especially if 2K started up again.  Well, looks like, whether it be PS3 led or not, Im skipping again.

  18. BlueSteel18 | BlueSteel18

    • 12:56pm GMT - February 12th, 2008

    Well this sucks though i can say that I'm not surprised. 

  19. Psydistix

    • 2:29pm GMT - February 12th, 2008

    Well, if people stop buying it, then sales will continue to decrease. I did not buy 08 and will not be buying them anymore. Just like Devil May Cry 4, when it was announced as a multi platform game, all of these folks were boycotting Capcom. Now, everyone is getting excited about the game. When sales really begin to decrease, that is when we will have the only possibility of a better NFL game.

  20. graphixmaster | mcx

    • 2:34pm GMT - February 12th, 2008

    EA Sports Sucks!!!!   --- Did you see that NFL Tour game ..if they keep this up they are gonna have to pay NFL for desecrating there name with these bad games.

  21. stennex | stennex

    • 2:40pm GMT - February 12th, 2008

    OMG. Please don't let this happen to FIFA. We need competition.OMG. This a monopoly happening just like M$ is doing with windows. I would not be surprised if M$ bought out EA.

  22. ScaR

    • 3:09pm GMT - February 12th, 2008

    i do not like EA and their games. maybe timesplitters future perfect was okay since they published it.

  23. jaybiv | jaybiv

    • 3:20pm GMT - February 12th, 2008

    This is anti competitve at it's very finest.  Without the NFL licensing, any football game is dead.  We do not have to sit back and watch them do this to us. Send an emaill to the FTC and ask them to investigate this deal antitrust@ftc.gov

  24. BD_BLACKAZZ | BD_BLACKK

    • 3:23pm GMT - February 12th, 2008

    I agree with all of u guys EA stinks.. I'll rent this game this yr.. COME ON EA STEP IT UP... I still have alittle tiny hope in u...

  25. NYFAN | BD_BLACKK

    • 4:30pm GMT - February 12th, 2008

    YEAH 3 more years of me not buying another Madden game... My wallet thank's you EA!!!!!!

  26. NY_Young1 | NY_Young1

    • 4:42pm GMT - February 12th, 2008

    EA sports is odviously afraid of what any other developers can make of a football games with the NFL licence such as Sega and 2k sports. Lets face it, NBA 2K series are way better series the EA's Live series. If 2K had a real shot at next-gen football with an NFL licence then there would be no point in buying any sports games from EA unless it's like boxing (Fight Night) or something. EA = SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!! 

  27. thegame97338 | G_PIG79

    • 4:52pm GMT - February 12th, 2008

    Damn it.

  28. hush404 | hush404

    • 5:11pm GMT - February 12th, 2008

    Eff you NFL.

  29. psn_frov | frov

    • 6:16pm GMT - February 12th, 2008

    screw ea!!!

  30. VEGAZ5

    • 7:17pm GMT - February 12th, 2008

    i haven't bought an ea game since they published that black cat pirate game during the first year of the ps2 launch ( i forgot the name )

  31. INFLAMED | INFLAMED

    • 7:48pm GMT - February 12th, 2008

    "2012" hate that number. *why? Judgement Day/Illuminati/Armegedon.

    dam Assassin's creed. 

  32. alchemyuser1 | alchemyuser1

    • 4:09am GMT - February 13th, 2008

    EA cant make a quality football game plain and simple

Related information

  • Related game: Madden 08

    Release date (US):
    August 14th, 2007
    Developer:
    Tiburon
    Genre:
    Sports - American Football
    Rank:
    78 of 1,521 Games
    Down 2 places (in last 7 days)

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