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

# 41 pietasterp @ 02/14/11 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueNGold


	If they were to continually not give a **** and put out an NBA Elite-style product, they'd run the risk of losing a lot of money and the license, so to say they have no reason to make a good game is false.

True, but a big difference is NBA Elite had a direct competitor that shone a blindingly bright light on the glaring shortcomings of EA's product...with nothing to judge Madden against, how will we know how good football this generation could/should be?

Quote:

Originally Posted by FLIGHTWHITE


	It is what it is. For those who don't like it, simply don't buy it. Personally I would like other companies making football games but it's not happening and I'm ok with that also.

LOL...also true. Way to put it in perspective...

# 42 michfan16 @ 02/14/11 07:44 PM

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOO

# 43 statum71 @ 02/14/11 07:44 PM

I don't know why so many people seem surprised. I've just accepted that the NFL is EA's game......period. No use crossing your fingers for 2014 either.

Madden is what it is. And I'll still be playing.

# 44 cwilson250733 @ 02/14/11 07:51 PM

Terrible just terrible!! EASPORTS knows that its a huge deal being the only to make a NFL game! Look what happened with NBA LIve. 2K pretty much put them out! The show in baseball an 2k in baseball put EA away several years ago! So they know its a big deal holding on to this. If 2k got to their chance to make a NFL game they might end up losing out all together!! So lets hope 2K can come through with at least a college game..... We just need to turn up the heat on them!!!

# 45 gbombbay @ 02/14/11 07:53 PM

listen i see everybody complaining about this exclusive license... but yet they "Madden" continue to get people to buy it obviously. I wish those like me who are truly mad about this stop buying the game. If more would do this they wouldn't be able to extend the license like they have... SO STOP BUYING THE GAME. Then we will have a choice of more than one football game. They have a license and say the motto is everything we see on Sunday but we all know that's a LIE. Just take a look at every other sports game that don't have a license and look how far ahead they are of Madden i.e MLB The Show, NBA 2k, Fight Night, NHL. We need to stop letting big companies like this screw us over, by not supporting the products that they put out.
I say we start a full fledged PETITION. it's worth a shot and couldn't hurt. lets stop complaining and start doing something about it.

# 46 capn_razzamataz @ 02/14/11 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadman


	The sky is falling, time to line up at the bridges and take the plunge.

Is this really necessary?

# 47 HARTSTOPPER @ 02/14/11 08:00 PM

Unfortunately, I love competition, but because this is the only football game out there that has the up to date rosters, etc. I will go out and buy it. I am not mad at the overall product that Madden puts out, but there is no denying that another company making an NFL licensed game, would be pushing them harder to add in more features that fans want.

# 48 roadman @ 02/14/11 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by capn_razzamataz


	Is this really necessary?

That's the prevailing attitude when this type of news comes out.

My point is that it's only one more year. I see this as a business contract between two parties and one party reaching out to the other party and offering concessions on the contract.

Everyone keeps pointing fingers at EA when the agreement is between both the NFL and EA.

# 49 mr janny @ 02/14/11 08:08 PM

Does competition really inspire change? Look at other gaming franchises. There are tons of options out there in the FPS genre, yet the top dog is Call of Duty, a series that has changed very little from year to year. There's a whole lot of speculation going on in this thread, but most of it is ill informed hyperbole.

# 50 Facts @ 02/14/11 08:09 PM

You have to bring the revenues down dramatically for the non-gamer NFL guys in the office to realize this mistake but unfortunately

1) EA Fanboys are numerous
2) People wanting to play an NFL game are numerous

But still due to the success of Fifa and NHL along with no competition against NCAA and Fight Night, EA has the money to buy such a shady deal.

# 51 mr janny @ 02/14/11 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Facts


	You have to bring the revenues down dramatically for the non-gamer NFL guys in the office to realize this mistake but unfortunately 1) EA Fanboys are numerous 2) People wanting to play an NFL game are numerous But still due to the success of Fifa and NHL along with no competition against NCAA and Fight Night, EA has the money to buy such a shady deal.

You don't think that the NFL has done their homework on this deal? I guarantee you that they have done projections on the money they are likely to make with an exclusivity deal versus the money they'd make with multiple licenses. The NFL is a very well run business. They knew what they were doing when they offered up exclusivity.

# 52 HARTSTOPPER @ 02/14/11 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr janny


	Does competition really inspire change? Look at other gaming franchises. There are tons of options out there in the FPS genre, yet the top dog is Call of Duty, a series that has changed very little from year to year. There's a whole lot of speculation going on in this thread, but most of it is ill informed hyperbole.

I'm not so sure about Call of Duty being top dog. On PS3, I could understand, but on 360, I have a hard time believing that Call of Duty has more fans than Halo does. Change will ALWAYS breed better production. Just look back at the NFL games before the contract between EA and the NFL. You could make a case for either game being outstanding. Then EA gets the rights, and everything that we loved about Madden and all of it's features were taken away and we were dished out a bare minimum Madden NFL '06 on a more powerful system. Now each year, they find ways to sneak in old features and label them "brand new".

# 53 Facts @ 02/14/11 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr janny


	You don't think that the NFL has done their homework on this deal? I guarantee you that they have done projections on the money they are likely to make with an exclusivity deal versus the money they'd make with multiple licenses. The NFL is a very well run business. They knew what they were doing when they offered up exclusivity.

Tell me that after they get this CBA out of the way.

# 54 Facts @ 02/14/11 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr janny


	Does competition really inspire change? Look at other gaming franchises. There are tons of options out there in the FPS genre, yet the top dog is Call of Duty, a series that has changed very little from year to year. There's a whole lot of speculation going on in this thread, but most of it is ill informed hyperbole.

Yea but Madden isn't exactly the COD of Football Sim. It's moving close to the Perfect Dark status

# 55 raz77 @ 02/14/11 08:24 PM

I'm more mad at the NFL than EA at this point. I mean it is only one year, but because it is near the end of a generation that's a huge opportunity with the PS3 and the 360 going down the drain. We always suspected it would go like this, but now we have all the nails in the coffin.

# 56 mr janny @ 02/14/11 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PMG_HART


	I'm not so sure about Call of Duty being top dog. On PS3, I could understand, but on 360, I have a hard time believing that Call of Duty has more fans than Halo does. Change will ALWAYS breed better production. Just look back at the NFL games before the contract between EA and the NFL. You could make a case for either game being outstanding. Then EA gets the rights, and everything that we loved about Madden and all of it's features were taken away and we were dished out a bare minimum Madden NFL '06 on a more powerful system. Now each year, they find ways to sneak in old features and label them "brand new".

First off, Call of Duty Black Ops has sold roughly 11 million copies on the 360. (8.5 mil on the Ps3) Halo Reach has sold 8 million. That's not counting PC. COD is the FPS king. That's not even an argument.

Second, Madden 06's decline had less to do with an exclusivity contract and more to do with learning the ins and outs of programing on a new platform.

Madden's exclusivity has made it an easy target. It's easy to decry and dismiss the current version of Madden because there is nothing out there to compare it against. What were the huge improvements between 2k5 and AP2k8?

# 57 TrapStar215 @ 02/14/11 08:33 PM

I think Imma go cry now! :-''''''''(

# 58 huntt26 @ 02/14/11 08:34 PM

The NFL executives obviously do not play the game. The only thing that represents what happens on the field is that the game has the players that kind of look like the real thing, and the logos. Can't even say stadiums or uniforms because they always mess a few up.

*puke*

# 59 Palo20 @ 02/14/11 08:34 PM

I like it. I trust Ian and Co.

# 60 Bellsprout @ 02/14/11 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JustinSainn


	think it's about time for the fans and players to start jumping ship over to the UFL.

Over a video game? Really?

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