The National Football League (NFL) and its players’ union (NFLPA) have confirmed a multi-year renewal of their partnership with video game giant Electronic Arts.
The extension sees EA Sports retain exclusive rights to publish the North American football league’s official simulation games, including the popular Madden NFL franchise.
According to Sportico, the new deal will run until at least 2026 and is worth a whopping US$1.6 billion. The NFL will reportedly pocket at least US$1 billion of that total, with the players’ share valued at US$600 million.
As part of the extended partnership, the NFL, NFLPA and EA Sports have also agreed to develop games in new genres, including expanded offerings for mobile players. The three parties will also work on expanded esports programmes and additional experiences for fans across more platforms.
“The expansion of this partnership is not only about the continued success of the Madden NFL franchise but also the creation of new avenues for our fans to connect with the sport they love,” said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
The latest edition of Madden has been ‘the most successful game in franchise history’, according to an official release, which said unique players on Madden NFL 20 have grown by 30 per cent year-over-year. The number of monthly average players have reached an all-time high, while more than 330 million hours of the game have been played.
“Building on the most successful year ever for Madden NFL, this is a powerful time for EA Sports to come together with the NFL and the NFLPA in this new wide-reaching partnership,” said EA chief executive Andrew Wilson. “Together, we have a tremendous opportunity to entertain more players through new Madden NFL experiences, games in new genres and on new platforms, esports, and new innovations that will grow fans' love of the NFL around the world.”
The agreement extends a partnership dating back to 2004, when the NFL’s deal with EA brought an end to its tie-up with rival video game publisher 2K. The league has since rekindled its relationship with 2K, agreeing a new deal in March that will see the company produce non-simulation football games from 2021.
The deal is also the first to be facilitated for the NFLPA by OneTeam Partners, a marketing company recently established to help athletes maximise the value of their name, image and likeness rights.
“EA Sports and Madden NFL are such pivotal points of connection for NFL players, the sport and its fans,” added DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFLPA and co-chair of OneTeam Partners. “We have a shared vision to expand the fanbase of football through interactivity, and we're thrilled to continue our strong partnership with EA Sports to bring this to life in more ways than ever.”
The National Football League (NFL) and its players’ union (NFLPA) have confirmed a multi-year renewal of their partnership with video game giant Electronic Arts.
The extension sees EA Sports retain exclusive rights to publish the North American football league’s official simulation games, including the popular Madden NFL franchise.
According to Sportico, the new deal will run until at least 2026 and is worth a whopping US$1.6 billion. The NFL will reportedly pocket at least US$1 billion of that total, with the players’ share valued at US$600 million.
As part of the extended partnership, the NFL, NFLPA and EA Sports have also agreed to develop games in new genres, including expanded offerings for mobile players. The three parties will also work on expanded esports programmes and additional experiences for fans across more platforms.
“The expansion of this partnership is not only about the continued success of the Madden NFL franchise but also the creation of new avenues for our fans to connect with the sport they love,” said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
The latest edition of Madden has been ‘the most successful game in franchise history’, according to an official release, which said unique players on Madden NFL 20 have grown by 30 per cent year-over-year. The number of monthly average players have reached an all-time high, while more than 330 million hours of the game have been played.
“Building on the most successful year ever for Madden NFL, this is a powerful time for EA Sports to come together with the NFL and the NFLPA in this new wide-reaching partnership,” said EA chief executive Andrew Wilson. “Together, we have a tremendous opportunity to entertain more players through new Madden NFL experiences, games in new genres and on new platforms, esports, and new innovations that will grow fans' love of the NFL around the world.”
The agreement extends a partnership dating back to 2004, when the NFL’s deal with EA brought an end to its tie-up with rival video game publisher 2K. The league has since rekindled its relationship with 2K, agreeing a new deal in March that will see the company produce non-simulation football games from 2021.
The deal is also the first to be facilitated for the NFLPA by OneTeam Partners, a marketing company recently established to help athletes maximise the value of their name, image and likeness rights.
“EA Sports and Madden NFL are such pivotal points of connection for NFL players, the sport and its fans,” added DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFLPA and co-chair of OneTeam Partners. “We have a shared vision to expand the fanbase of football through interactivity, and we're thrilled to continue our strong partnership with EA Sports to bring this to life in more ways than ever.”
Getty Images
