One Longtime Exclusive Partner With NFL Considers Dumping Their License

by pastapadre
Posted March 8th, 2013 at 2:15 pm

nflsundayticketlogo

Last week an NFLPA representative shed some light on how the exclusive league license for video games is viewed. They consider their relationship with EA Sports strong and ultimately the job of the Player’s Association is to protect the members and bring in as much money for them as possible. Considering the established history with EA, and the amount of control the NFL likes to exert regarding image, it displayed the picture of how the licensing is viewed as a whole. The NFL (not just NFLPA) wants exclusivity because it brings in more money and they can more directly help to shape the way they are perceived through their partners.

Recently we’ve seen the effects of what happens when a league plays hardball, literally, on the business side. MLB had lost representation on the dominant console until caving on licensing costs with 2K Sports late in 2012. By going exclusive in the past they eliminated the competition that would have provided them an alternative for 2013. Instead MLB 2K13 ended up with a shameless rip-off of 2K12 that both MLB and 2K deserve plenty of scorn for by pushing on consumers as a legitimate product.

Coincidentally news hit yesterday that DirecTV, which has carried NFL Sunday Ticket exclusively since 1994, is considering dropping it or sharing it with others due to the high costs and reduced returns over the years when the current deal expires following the 2014-15 season. The emergence of RedZone channel and NFL Network Thursday night games through cable providers has eaten away at the value of the package.

This is an interesting development because it syncs up with what EA is likely thinking right now as well. The terms of the original video game license signed in 2004, extended in 2008, and then again in 2011 (with concessions from the NFL) no longer makes fiscal sense given the current marketplace. That’s why it took the NFL giving up a $30 million credit due to the impending possibility of a lockout at the time to get EA to agree to the year extension. EA wouldn’t have otherwise. Now they’re completely in the driver’s seat as far as negotiations go unlike in 2004 when they had to bid (even though they weren’t the highest bidder) and ended up paying over $60 million a year for the rights.

The difference here of course is that the NFL would have alternatives to turn to for exclusivity when it comes to Sunday Ticket. Whether that be the cable companies or DISH Network they have options. With video games all options have disintegrated and that places EA in a better bargaining position. Just as MLB eventually came to the realization they had no choice if they wanted a game out, the NFL surely knows that no other company could jump right in and represent their brand within a year or even two when starting from scratch and having to develop for multiple platforms. They aren’t going to let this generation of consoles, and the next generation which is right around the corner now, go without NFL football for any length of time.

Tags: latest news

Rodney Thomas

For the love of God – please let the videogame exclusivity end. It’s HORRIBLE for consumers.
- http://pastapadre.com/ pastapadre
  
  Unfortunately consumers aren’t their first concern.
- Guest
  
  I guarantee if the exclusive license is lost by EA, they will still have the best football game on the market. All the other companies will have to start from scratch slowing down any possible improvements over madden, while EA already has something they can work off of. People act like 2k has some football game sitting in a cabinet just waiting for the license to be theirs, but they aren’t. Look at All Pro Football 2k8… garbage.
  - http://www.facebook.com/people/Iown-You/100000775565221 Iown You
    
    You can only call APF “garbage” from a features standpoint. I’ll even concede that the graphics are way below Madden. But on the field with X’s and O’s and overall gameplay, APF was and still is many years ahead of anything Madden is doing today. You also have to consider that the critical parts of APF were made in less than a year (Developer’s word), while at the time EA had already had 3 full development cycles in the then new generation, and all they could turn out was utter unplayable trash (360/PS3 versions of Madden 06 (not on PS3), Madden 07, Madden 08), two of which (Madden 06 and Madden 08) are considered by many as two of the worst football games ever made, and as broken as both of those game were it’s not a stretch at all.
    
    When Madden has:
    
    -Proper and CONSISTENT pocket forming
    -CONSISTENT pro-level d-line pressure
    -CONSISTENT downfield blocking
    -Commentary that doesn’t have a ton of dead air and names not being called at the proper times.
    -An ACTUAL halftime show
    -An ACTUAL post game show
    -An ACTUAL weekly highlight show (see NFL 2K5)
    -Animations that don’t look like they were mocapped from a very stiff robot who needs a good spraydown of WD-40.
    
    … Then give me a call and we can discuss how Tiburon’s brand of pigskin has actually evolved into a serious simulation of pro football. Until then? Dude, please.
    - smsixx
      
      The reason I don’t enjoy Madden anymore is the exploits (online and offline). If you line a reciever in the slot and run a streak route its there all day and no one can stop you. It dosen’t matter what the difficulty is set to (which this years Madden botched as well).
      I played the game for years and for that time it always improved…But the last 3 years in paticular have just been horrible…In that time I have seen the game take more steps backwards each year rather then forward…
      As much as I would love to have the deal end…it never will. That lies in the hands of us consumers and unfortunettly the 10-15 year old kids will always ask mom and dad to buy it for them because they don’t know any better and its the only football game they have ever seen…Not too mention they will spend $100 each on Ultimate team DLC which will keep the money train rolling.
      Im just passing on football in general now…When the next gens launch and Madden can show me a great simulation in a 2-3 years (you know there first release on next gen will be junk) then maybe i’ll consider coming back…Until then…Its all MLB The Show and 2k basketball.
      - IceChief27
        
        The streak route example is not an example at all. That route is really not hard to cover if you know how to play football. There are however other routes that get open every time and problems with pass rushing/blocking. I don’t know why everyone seems to think that 2k could make a better football game than EA. Their baseball game is nowhere near as good as EA’s is. Basketball is, in my opinion the easiest of the three main sports games to make. There are less players and the game does not involve as many variables. Also there are always going to be programming limitations for any game. You just can’t make a computer think like a human. Any issues we may have with this year’s issue are mostly minor issues. Most of the problems I have encountered in the game stem from users taking advantage of things that work well in the game. This is a very fixable issue. There is not anything major that is wrong with Madden 13 that can’t be corrected. However, the game is never going to be perfect and people are always going to bitch and moan. I think the Madden Franchise is one of the best and deserves to have an exclusive partnership with the NFL.
      - BJ
        
        Everyone seems to think that 2K can make a better football game than EA is because THEY ALREADY HAVE! Both NFL 2K5 and APF 2K8 were better than any Madden game over the last 10 years!
    - BJ
      
      PREACH BROTHER PREACH!!!! WELL SAID!
  - Keith.
    
    Let’s be real here. It would probably take 2k all of 6 months development time to update their football engine and have a product better than present-day Madden. By year 2, it would probably closely resemble 2k’s basketball game, in terms of overall quality, and Madden would be on its way out of business, just like NBA Live.
  - BJ
    
    APF was hardly garbage. It just was a barebones game wtih no franchise mode. The gameplay was solid and much better than anything Madden ahs put out in the last 5 years.
  - http://twitter.com/VAStreamMonster Marty
    
    Not really if they all have to start from scratch for next gen. Sure EA had the access, stadiums and playbooks, but I say only a small portion of that effects the quality of the game (physics, graphics, presentation, etc.) It’s obvious you are a devout fan of EA.
http://www.facebook.com/mike.query.3 Mike Query

Please let it come to cable
MoneyMayweather

Please bring back 2k!
TIMtationX

So wait, EA wasn’t the highest bidder?? I always thought they were…
- http://pastapadre.com/ pastapadre
  
  It was actually Disney. But the NFL was considering more then just the dollar amount in their decision.
  - http://www.facebook.com/people/Iown-You/100000775565221 Iown You
    
    Sadly, had Disney gotten the rights we would’ve been saved, because Disney’s intention was to get the license and sub-license it to other companies, and that would’ve meant that 2K could’ve stayed in the game along with a host of other football game developers, all of whom lost their jobs over this exclusive garbage.
    
    So clearly, the NFL had nobody’s interest in mind but their own. What a damn shame… a GOTdamn shame.
    - Keith.
      
      Amen on that.
- Keith.
  
  EA wasn’t the highest bidder, but recently released documents confirm EA was the first, with its then CEO, Larry Probst, sending Roger Goodell a pitch in May 2004. Gave the link a couple weeks ago but if anyone wants it again, just say so.
  - http://www.facebook.com/people/Iown-You/100000775565221 Iown You
    
    Yes, I’d like to check that out Keith.
    - Keith.
      
      There’s a lot of internal emails and other info here about why EA did what they did, but start with footnotes 73 & 78 — it’s all laid out that EA was scared of 2k and pinned their hopes on getting a “licensing lockout”:
      
      http://easportslitigation.com/pdf/Paynter%20Declaration%20Ex.%20C%20-%20Part%201.pdf
      - http://www.facebook.com/people/Iown-You/100000775565221 Iown You
        
        This document appears to specifically show definitive course–with internal EA memo’s and emails–that EA approached the NFL first in direct reaction to the fear of what 2K was doing. And if this information is as accurate as the document appears to be, then EA has been lying for nearly the past 10 years about everything.
        
        I think people are quick to call this old news, but as far as I’m concerned; every year that we have to sit here without a viable new option for NFL football video games, the story stays relevant.
        
        EA is just a bunch of lying bastards with zero integrity. All this time they’ve pretended as if they were sitting on their hands and the NFL just suddenly came out of nowhere and said “Hey EA, get off that butter churner for a moment ’cause we’ve got a deal fer YOU! Want an exclusive with us?”. Anyone with an ounce of common sense could see this was a lie anyway, especially when EA immediately went after and secured the ESPN, NCAA, and AFL licenses which effectively shut 2K out. A person would have to be from another planet (or from Operation Sports) to be dumb enough to think that was all just one big coincidence.
        
        The only thing EA didn’t try for was the CFL license, but that’s only because it has no value to its biggest market (The U.S.). Still, as frightened of 2K as EA was in their internal memo’s, I’m surprised EA didn’t go after the CFL, Pop Warner, and Lingerie Football League licenses, and then finish it off by going after the license of every dead football league that ever existed including ones that never made it to playing a single game! EA was scared to death! LOL!
        
        What a bunch of cowards.
      - Keith.
        
        Exactly. One of the footnotes even talks about how, internally, EA was focused on getting a complete “licensing lockout” while, externally, they would spin it to make it seem like the NFL was the one after the exclusive license.
        
        To think that there are EA homers out there who bought into this hook, line and sinker for the past 10 years is sad. Even more sad is that everybody is the sports gaming media has let them get away with such nonsense — too worried about biting the hand that feeds, I guess.
        
        And don’t worry…the document’s legit, having been filed in federal court as part of the Madden Monopoly lawsuit. But again, it’s been completely ignored by the sports gaming media.
http://www.facebook.com/travktaylor Travis Kyle Elisha Taylor

(gasp of hope) NFL 2k15!!?????….
ace

Well EA’s stock is at its highest point in over a year. Funny you act like its dying out and you have to get out immediately.
- Keith.
  
  Only because Riccotello and the company have been buying up all the shares. The price certainly hasn’t gone up because of revenues or profits.
Skihawks

We all want competition back. I love Madden 13 as I am not one to dig on every little issue. However, options are good for everyone and the 2K / EA fan wars will be back on…
Miss the days of blitz, even NFL Gameday was somewhat solid on PS2 before the exclusive license. The potential to open up a ton of gaming opportunities…
- Just Blaze!
  
  Sorry about wanting realistic play? Every little issue?
w/e

thank god im over madden i dont HAVE TO BUY IT! i got over it when i skipped this year. there is 0 competition for ea, and they do not care about the consumer, but there will always be the consumer complaining and sending emails about making a better game even though we all know it wont happen. I hope others can get over madden and the nfl sees the impact it has and realize how important the consumer is rather than an exclusive license
Anybody

The NFL is busy reducing its game to touch football, and EA is making sure football principles stay as far away from Madden as possible.
If I were John Madden I’d b ashamed…
http://www.facebook.com/anthony.hermano.1 Anthony Hermano

Too bad that everyone is forced to opt for Madden even though its a piss poor excuse of a football game. With no competition, EA can make Madden as bad as they want to, and football gamers are forced to buy it because there is no alternative, yet competition would force EA to make a good football game for a change, and they are too lazy for that. EA does not want 2k to be able to make an NFL game for fear it will decimate the Madden Franchise (would not be difficult) just like their NBA Live franchise got wiped by NBA2k.
http://twitter.com/Jori_Fullerton Jori Fullerton

I have emailed and tweeted Roger Goodell and have made my concerns known to Madden dev team as to what I do not like about the game, and they do not care, they always say, thanks for your input but what do you like about the game?? The game is all hardcore NFL fans have unless you fire up the NFL 2K5 and that always puts a smile on my face. It is still a great game and those who love it like I do, know what I am talking about.
Connected careers was garbage, did not finish one season. only played Madden online and that was 60 point scoring fests with No defense. I put in 2k5 and play my brother and we can have a competitive game and the game is 8 years old!!
The best way to get the NFL to allow competition is to simply not purchase Madden. That is hard to do, and I have bought Madden a few times over the years. M13 was terrible, and I won’t buy the new one. The new physics engine was ridiculous, you had backs like Stephen Jackson flailing around like a rag doll and limbs contorting in unnatural ways.
Just a joke. Bring back NFL 2K.