News: Looks like EA won't have any competitors for another five years...
EA and the NFL announced today that they have extended their exclusivity deal for another five years. The deal now lasts through the 2012 season, which ends in February 2013 with Super Bowl XLVII.
This agreement applies to all consoles, handhelds and the PC and will likely stretch into the next generation of consoles that will appear after the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii.
"We are excited about the opportunity to extend and expand our relationships with the NFL and NFL Players," said Peter Moore, President of EA Sports. "For nearly two decades, EA Sports has been bringing sports fans closer to the great game of football through the breakthrough interactive experiences of our videogames. Game quality is our top priority, and we're committed to pushing our gameplay innovation, connecting football fans via rich online experiences and delivering the most visually stunning sports games on the market.Ф
We'll have more on Madden NFL 2009, Madden NFL 2010, Madden NFL 2011, Madden NFL 2012, Madden NFL 2013 and Madden NFL 2014 (which are all covered under this deal) sooner or later.