March 10, 2020. )“Expanding the NFL’s presence in the world of gaming has become a focus for the League as we look to grow the next generation of our fanbase,” said Joe Ruggiero, senior vice president of consumer products at the NFL, “and reviving our partnership with 2K was a natural step in that effort.”Here’s the relevant wording, from a news release dated Dec. 13, 2004, announcing EA’s initial five-year exclusive contracts with both the NFL and NFLPA:Multi-year deal for non-simulation titles ‘to launch starting in 2021’It’s worth noting that 2K’s deal with the NFL only covers the names, logos, and associated elements for the league and its 32 teams — not the names, images, and likenesses of any NFL players.
Various games are in “early development,” 2K said, with plans to release them “starting in 2021.” The publisher specified in the news release that the rollout is scheduled to begin sometime during Take-Two Interactive’s 2022 fiscal year, which means that the earliest possible release window is April 2021. And while EA would presumably seek to renew its contract again for Madden — a lucrative annual franchise that has been the bedrock of the EA Sports slate for over three decades — the NFL may finally be willing to open things up to some competition after more than 15 years of exclusivity.
Some years ago, the deals became limited to simulation football games, leaving other publishers free to form agreements with the NFL and NFLPA for non-simulation titles.Both agreements are exclusive for action simulation, arcade-style and manager games on the PC, handheld game devices and consoles — including console online features. ASSOCIATED PRESS.
You can also find me previewing and recapping WWE PPV events.However, EA’s exclusive licensing rights with the NFL for a simulation title is scheduled to end at the end of the 2021 season, and it appears there is reason to believe 2K could get a piece of that very coveted pie when that agreement ends.If nothing else sim-football fans have something they didn’t have a week ago, and that’s hope that 2K could push EA and Madden from a competition standpoint.I cover sports video games like NBA 2K, Madden, MLB The Show, FIFA, NHL, EA UFC, Fight Night, Super Mega Baseball, DIRT, F1, NASCAR, Forza, and everything in between.
Madden is getting some competition: today publisher 2K and the NFL announced a new multiyear, multi-game partnership for new football titles. A representative for 2K said the company could not comment on whether such a deal was in place.Over the years, as the arrival of smartphones and tablets brought mobile gaming to a new level of relevance, EA’s contracts evolved to encompass console, mobile, and PC platforms.
https://ftw.usatoday.com/2020/03/nfl-2k-video-game-announcement-madden
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That would mean the absence from the simulation football world would be 18 long years. The agreements do not include exclusive rights to other types of games or games accessible from the Internet or wireless devices, including cellular phones.Moreover, EA’s existing deal is set to expire at the end of the 2021 NFL season (i.e., in early 2022), according to an industry source with direct knowledge of the terms.