Madden 12 News Post

EA/NFL Extend NFL Exclusive License by One Year to 2013

06:10 PM - February 14, 2011 by RaychelSnr

The Sports Business Journal is reporting that the NFL and EA have come to terms on extending the current exclusive deal one more year with the uncertainty surrounding the 2011 NFL Season.

Quote:


	"The NFL has restructured its lucrative licensing and sponsorship contract with Electronic Arts to account for the sport�s uncertain future, significantly reducing the video game maker�s contractual obligations next season but adding a year to the deal, according to several well-placed sources. The contract now runs through 2013. The league is believed to have so far rebuffed pleas for fee reductions from other licensees and sponsors, many of which, like EA, find it difficult planning for the next season under the threat of a work stoppage. The league�s collective-bargaining agreement with the players expires March 4, and the two sides are far apart on reaching a deal. EA, however, is a special case, with its iconic �Madden� video game title. The licensing deal it agreed to with the league in early 2008 is believed to be worth well into nine figures in guarantees and royalties over its original five-year term. That stands as one of the most, if not the most lucrative non-TV contract the NFL enjoys. The NFL Players Association, which signed a companion EA deal for rights to the players, reaps regularly between $30 million and $40 million annually, according to the union�s annual filings with the Labor Department. The league deal allows EA to use team colors, names and logos."

This basically means that EA has exclusive rights to Madden now until after Madden NFL 14 -- or roughly right about the time the next generation of consoles are set to hit.

This just shows how strong of business partners the NFL and EA Sports are at this point. The NFL is giving EA a break on payments this year and has basically given them an additional year as a make-up of sorts to make right. Also, if you read my 2011 Predictions Post back in January, you saw this was my first prediction, that the deal would be extended in some way this year.

So in that respect, this news is not unexpected -- and with the deal stretching into the next console generation, I have serious doubts any other company is going to be in a position enter the market anytime soon due to the extreme cost of entry into quality sports game development that will be present at that time.

Thanks to Pasta Padre for the news tip.

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Member Comments

# 201 bigsmallwood @ 02/15/11 04:13 PM

Wow. This is bad for business and really bad for the gamers. While I am not surprised by this, I am saddened by it. I hope that we get another NFL style football game soon. At least give us an option. Oh well, more pressure for Madden 12 to deliver a strong game.

# 202 raz77 @ 02/15/11 04:16 PM

If EA keeps having trouble then maybe someone will just come in and outbid them. Heck, after playing Pure I'm curious to see what Disney could have done with the license.

# 203 matt8204 @ 02/15/11 04:25 PM

It is what it is at this point. Great deal from a business standpoint, not so great for consumers.

# 204 Bull_Dozer @ 02/15/11 04:31 PM

And football gaming fans get **** on again.

# 205 gman2774 @ 02/15/11 04:31 PM

The phrase EA Madden and next-gen consoles used in the same sentence scares me. They haven't been able to produce a good version on current-gen systems. I wonder if they'll take the monumental steps bacwards on next-gen that they took last time around??

# 206 capn_razzamataz @ 02/15/11 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr janny


	and yet COD sits on top of the heap, despite being a game that has little change from year to year. COD's success throws a monkey wrench in the argument that if Madden had more competition, the game would change more from year to year.

For me at least, the argument isn't that Madden isn't changing enough in general. I think in terms of the pure amount of change between Madden games, we're seeing basically the same amount as the previous generation of consoles. The difference is that EA isn't improving upon fundamental flaws in the game. Look at the problem of players' bodies warping to catch the ball. Do you think that COD would be nearly as successful if players' bodies warped so that bullets hit them correctly? Now look at how tackling is handled. What about if in some hypothetical FPS game you're playing a boss-type battle with 10 other people in COOP mode and only two peoples' weapons can inflict damage at any time?

I would be far less critical of Madden if it didn't overlook many basic fundamentals of football AND physics. If they were keep the current pace of "improvement" but with the fundamental stuff nailed down I would (probably) be more than satisfied with that.

# 207 Blzer @ 02/15/11 05:31 PM

I honestly just choked up a little bit.

# 208 SeaNNyT @ 02/15/11 05:37 PM

Boo. That is all. :/

# 209 Perfect Zero @ 02/15/11 05:42 PM

Back in 2005 I would have been devastated. I used to watch football every weekend and really kept up with it. Now, I can't even watch the pro ranks anymore because there's not a game that represents it at all. The NFL has sucked the fun out of football to me because of this, and teams like SCEA have made me more of a baseball fan. It is what it is.

# 210 mr janny @ 02/15/11 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perfect Zero


	Back in 2005 I would have been devastated. I used to watch football every weekend and really kept up with it. Now, I can't even watch the pro ranks anymore because there's not a game that represents it at all. The NFL has sucked the fun out of football to me because of this, and teams like SCEA have made me more of a baseball fan. It is what it is.

I find this opinion really interesting. Your desire to watch a sport is directly tied to whether or not the video game associated with it meets your standards? Could you expand on that? How does playing (or not playing)a mediocre video game take away from watching NFL football on Sundays? I guess I just don't understand. I'm not mocking you, I just was hoping you would explain it a little more. We're obviously coming from very different places on this, and I'm curious how you arrived at the position you have taken.

I mean, would you stop being an NFL fan just because you bought a hat that you don't feel is of good quality? or a jersey? or any piece of NFL licensed gear. I guess I just don't see where you're coming from.

# 211 Americas Team1 @ 02/15/11 05:59 PM

More of the same broken gameplay and franchise mode.....Awesome

# 212 Dog @ 02/15/11 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perfect Zero


	Now, I can't even watch the pro ranks anymore because there's not a game that represents it at all.

This is just absurd. If a video game makes you not like the NFL anymore, then you weren't a fan of the NFL in the first place

# 213 tpaterniti @ 02/15/11 07:29 PM

Not surprising to me. Gamers have been roped into the "just one more year and Madden will make it better" mentality for like the last 7 years in a row so there is no reason to expect a different approach from the NFL. The Madden hype machine is so predictable I could probably lay out exactly what will happen between now and August, but it's not even worth posting because everyone else knows it too. And yet people will still go out and buy it hoping it's different this time. Isn't there a term for that in domestic abuse cases? I can't remember what it is.

# 214 mestevo @ 02/15/11 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tpaterniti


	Not surprising to me. Gamers have been roped into the "just one more year and Madden will make it better" mentality for like the last 7 years in a row so there is no reason to expect a different approach from the NFL. The Madden hype machine is so predictable I could probably lay out exactly what will happen between now and August, but it's not even worth posting because everyone else knows it too. And yet people will still go out and buy it hoping it's different this time. Isn't there a term for that in domestic abuse cases? I can't remember what it is.

Probably referring to battered wives syndrome or something, but it's also the definition of insanity I believe, doing the same thing repeatedly expecting a different result.

# 215 ryan36 @ 02/15/11 08:06 PM

Let's not compare a video game to spousal abuse, guys.

# 216 db56 @ 02/15/11 08:06 PM

terrible news but not surprising at all.

all that is needed is another company making a sim football game with all generic players and total roster control given to the user...

# 217 videlsports @ 02/15/11 08:09 PM

Well At least NCAA is a good game. The whole point though is that we lose as Sports gamers who want Viable competitors. EA made a Shrewed Buisness move because they stand to make some money even in a possible locked out season. Well I also just got word the NCAA Reupped their deal too. (CLC.com, contact us section, a list of e-mails.. Got a response From Mr. Dave Kirk Patrick saying that the CLC reupped till 2014 too.. so No Professional or Amatuer, football unless it's from ea. (SMH) I don't have the same tune as I once did. Exclusive Lisences are going to be around. Well I say if EA and the NFL is going to continue to do this.. Activision or Warner Buy Take two.. Keep the MLB exclusive too and Pony up the Dough to Keep the NBA exclusive for 2k Also DO the Same for the NHL. If people say that's messed up I feel this way well that's what they said to us when The NFL and NCaa was taken exclusive. EA: football, and Boxing and soccer, 2k: Basketball College and Pro, NHL, MLB, And Tennis.

# 218 ryan36 @ 02/15/11 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by videlsports


	If people say that's messed up I feel this way well that's what they said to us when The NFL and NCaa was taken exclusive. EA: football, and Boxing and soccer, 2k: Basketball College and Pro, NHL, MLB, And Tennis.

You forgot about SCEA and the Show. There's no way Sony lets its system seller die.

# 219 CaptainZombie @ 02/15/11 08:29 PM

At this point, I really don't care anymore with this exclusive license crap. I've come to accept the fact that EA owns the NFL, NCAA and FIFA licenses. The last 2 years Madden has made some decent strides improving the game but still lacking in a few areas. It sucks that there is no competition anymore, but that has become the nature of the beast.

# 220 videlsports @ 02/15/11 08:31 PM

@ ryan yes sir I know the MLB is a 3rd party deal.. but just saying.. though If exclusives are here to stay that's where I'm standing now.

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