Electronic Arts, ESPN ink exclusive 15-year deal

[SingaBoiy]

[UPDATE] ESPN brand and programming to surface in EA sports titles on all platforms; Sega Sports and Visual Concepts thrown for a loss, again.
Electronic Arts broke the calm of a national holiday today by announcing a licensing deal of epic proportions. For the next fifteen years, EA will be the sole licensee of the ESPN brand in the area of sports games, which will include console, handheld, PC, and wireless games.


Games with leverage the ESPN brand will make their way to retail sometime during calendar year 2006, "upon the conclusion of ESPN’s existing video game licensing commitments."

The news is the second blow to current ESPN license-holder Sega (and its Visual Concepts development studio). It recently lost the right to publish sports games using the NFL license when EA scooped that license up. Now, it loses the right to the ESPN brand as well.

In a statement released today, the world's largest game publisher said, "The relationship will include established EA SPORTS franchises--which will be enhanced by ESPN telecast, print and online content--as well as new sports games to be published by EA based on ESPN media properties."

Addressing ways EA intends to leverage not only ESPN programming but also technology, EA's vice president of marketing Frank Gibeau told GameSpot today, "When everything is online, and we’re going to be able to have live feeds, there's a lot of sports information content from ESPN that's really going to expand what EA Sports already does."

When asked to elaborate, Gibeau decline to go into specifics, but did say, "I think you can start to think about some of the core technology capabilities that are going to come online in the next few years with portability, wireless...you can think about the live feeds that can start to come in from ESPN inside of the games." For example, "being able to set rosters based on that night's rosters, brought to you by ESPN."

Go EA :box:

EDIT: Forgot the link

[Xilo]

It's a shame. Sega's games were a shitload better than EA's.

[Busyman]

It's a shame. Sega's games were a shitload better than EA's.

They sure were.

I actually liked the 2K series' basketball and football better than EA's.

Everyone's just used to Madden and EA for that matter.

I remember when NBA Live was total shit, there were still people saying it was good.

To any competitor's out there, you must make a game that is leaps and bounds better to beat the EA sweatshop.

[Djtima]

yeh but 15 YEARS!!!!
theres a hell of a lot of time for improvement there...
Madden 2004 is mad i enjoyed that game till there was no more enjoying to do...

[Adster]

are you kidding Sega are fucking dumbass idiots

for a start there games are like arcade games

and they decide OK lets release our NFL game in January in Australia and Europe when the season is nearly over with June rosters!! no wonder they sell there games for half price too

[Busyman]

are you kidding Sega are fucking dumbass idiots

for a start there games are like arcade games

and they decide OK lets release our NFL game in January in Australia and Europe when the season is nearly over with June rosters!! no wonder they sell there games for half price too

What game are you referring to?

The basketball is just the opposite. Sega's is more sim, EA's is more arcade.

The football is neck and neck but Sega's is no way like an arcade game.

As far as release dates....you're right...that is fucking stupid.

People forget that reason EA went for the ESPN brand was because the Madden brand contract is up.

[cpt_azad]

As long as Ubisoft doesn't become a pussy developer because of EA I'm happy

But ya 15 years, that's a long time for improvement. Don't diss games that aren't even out yet.

[Djtima]

But ya 15 years, that's a long time for improvement. Don't diss games that aren't even out yet.

Amen to that...

[3RA1N1AC]

Sega are fucking dumbass idiots

possibly the dumbest statement i've read today. sega are an awesome game company. who gives a crap about when aussies get their games? try buying your pop-culture product in comparable quantities to what we do, then they'll place a higher priority on timely game/movie/music/etc releases for australia.

back on topic: EA IS THE DEATH OF CREATIVITY. okay.

[Busyman]

possibly the dumbest statement i've read today. sega are an awesome game company. who gives a crap about when aussies get their games? try buying your pop-culture product in comparable quantities to what we do, then they'll place a higher priority on timely game/movie/music/etc releases for australia.

Ouch!!!

Good point though.