NFL extends exclusive deal with EA Sports
- Posted February 12th, 2008 at 07:06 EDT by
- 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.
Email
Related Content
Comments
-
-
swanky2167
- 2:55am EST - February 12th, 2008
- 2
3 more years of uninspired, no innovation football with bad music
-
butchyz
- 3:32am EST - February 12th, 2008
- 3
"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.
-
-
-
-
Muzikguy
- 4:26am EST - February 12th, 2008
- 7
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.
-
liquidghost
- 4:46am EST - February 12th, 2008
- 8
@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
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
E__A__G__L__E
- 6:00am EST - February 12th, 2008
- 15
You'll all buy it YEAR AFTER YEAR just watch n I have 2 say madden 5ucks
-
-
D3v1lwqer23
- 6:38am EST - February 12th, 2008
- 17
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.
-
BlueSteel18
- 7:56am EST - February 12th, 2008
- 18
Well this sucks though i can say that I'm not surprised.
-
Psydistix
- 9:29am EST - February 12th, 2008
- 19
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.
-
graphixmaster
- 9:34am EST - February 12th, 2008
- 20
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.
This will permanently ban this user and delete all associated comments. This action is irreversible, are you SURE you want to do this?!
