ESPN and EA Ink 15 Year Deal
In an earlier blog entry I mentioned how EA and the NFL had signed a long-term licensing deal, meaning that EA's Madden game would be the only football video game with actual NFL teams, players, and stadiums. Fortunately, the NBA did not strike such a deal. However, ESPN has signed such a licensing deal with EA, inking a 15 year deal. This is a blow to Sega whose sports games used to have the ESPN branding.
Sega's going to have a hard enough time with their football game for next year, being unable to use NFL teams/logos/players, but now their basketball games will be further diluted since they must abruptly end their ESPN branding. Betcha they wish they hadn't named their basketball game ESPN 2k5, since next year they won't be able to call their 2k6 game that.
How disappointing... I'm a big fan of competition, as I think it makes everyone do better... it's sad to see EA monopolizing the industry in this fashion....