EA Sports and the National Football League have renewed their long-running exclusive licensing agreement, ensuring that the Madden franchise will remain the only officially licensed NFL simulation video game on consoles and PC for the foreseeable future. The new deal, first reported by Sports Business Journal, expands beyond traditional game releases to include a wider range of media and digital experiences.
While financial details and contract length were not disclosed, the renewed partnership covers content like MaddenCast and other branded experiences that integrate the NFL’s broadcast and marketing ecosystem with EA’s growing sports portfolio. The extension signals a continued push to make Madden not just a yearly video game, but a multi-platform football brand spanning esports, live service events, and interactive media.
For players, this means that Madden will remain the only officially licensed football simulation, with all NFL teams, players, and stadiums exclusively represented in EA’s game. While smaller arcade or management-style NFL projects could still appear elsewhere under separate agreements, simulation rights stay locked in.
The Madden series has been the exclusive home of NFL simulation gaming since 2005, when EA first signed its landmark deal to outbid competitors like 2K Sports. This exclusivity has been a massive pain point for fans of football games, with many of its most vocal detractors saying that EA’s monopoly on NFL-licensed simulation games has had detrimental effects on the once-lauded Madden series. However, things aren’t that simple.
Back in August, news of EA and the NFL likely renewing the exclusive licensing agreement began to circulate. However, according to Mike Straw of Insider Gaming, EA was willing to relinquish its exclusive rights to NFL simulation games to save money. The NFL, however, wasn’t interested and instead doubled down on its desire to keep its IP in one tidy area.
Regardless, the move reinforces EA’s dominance in the football space and signals confidence from the league that Madden continues to serve as its digital flagship. Whether fans see that as progress or stagnation will depend on how EA evolves the series in the years ahead.
