EA To Get Exclusive NFL Player Rights?

Thanks to GameSpot for its news story reporting that EA may be on the verge of an exclusive contract for NFL football player likenesses. According to the piece, which quotes a Sports Business Journal article: "Electronic Arts is in final negotiations with Players Inc., the NFL Players' Association marketing arm, to exclusively license all NFL player rights for the next four years. The Journal set the price tag of the deal at $250 million each year, which EA would pay Players Inc.; in other words, a literal billion-dollar contract." The story goes on to note: "If that turns out to be the case, no non-EA Sports game could license NFL player likenesses--an almost certainly fatal blow to the Madden series' rivals." Update: 05/19 21:07 GMT by S : It seems the linked article has been retracted: "When contacted by GameSpot, NFLPA executives said that not only was the story false, but The Sports Business Journal has since run a retraction."

This is awesome.

[Bluesman]

Now all of the other sports games will have to switch from the NFL...to something better.

I can't wait for "XFL 2005 - He Hate Me" to appear on the Gamecube.

Re:Thats a real Shedload of cash.

[musikit]

as i said i don't play sports games anymore. you understood the point. i got the game/name associated wrong.

Isnt it nice

[MemoryDragon]

How ea always manges to get rid of the competition by the quality of their products! :-(