EA maintains exclusive Madden NFL license in multiyear renewal

[Tezza]

Just when we thought there may of been a glimmer of hope that the NFL will expand its licensing to 2K sports, now we have to play the same old recycled Madden game each year ?

NFL, NFLPA extend long-term deals for simulation football video games

Electronic Arts’ Madden NFL series will remain the only game in town for a while longer, when it comes to simulation football video games. The company announced Thursday that it has agreed to “multi-year” renewals of its exclusive licensing agreements with the NFL and NFL Players Association, shutting the door on the possibility that the league would open up the simulation license for other game publishers to enter the fray.

This ensures that EA will continue to hold what the NFL contract describes as “the exclusive right to manufacture, market and distribute NFL-themed realistic action simulation video games.” In other words, if you want to play a simulation football game with real NFL teams and players, your only choice is Madden — as has been the case for the past 15 years.

While the NFL’s renewal was technically up for a vote at Thursday’s meeting of league owners, an EA spokesperson told Polygon that the parties had agreed to terms ahead of time, and that the vote “is seen as a formality.”

Financial terms of the renewal were not disclosed. Asked for information about the extension’s length, an NFL representative confirmed to Polygon that the new contract runs for six years “starting today,” taking the agreement through May 2026. The rep also said the contract includes a provision for a one-year extension at the end. That additional year depends on EA hitting certain revenue targets, reports The MMQB’s Albert Breer.