NEWS - Monday, April 11, 2005
EA Has Another Exclusive
EA Nabs College Football Exclusive April 11, 2005 - Electronic Arts announced today it has entered a six-year exclusive agreement with the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), which represents the NCAA, to create and publish college football games. The agreement covers all consoles and handheld systems. EA now has exclusive use of college football teams, stadiums, and schools in videogames, and will inaugurate the new licensing deal with NCAA Football 2006, expected this summer. "Our NCAA football franchise is a key element in our EA Sports brand lineup and we are pleased to have secured the NCAA license," said Jeff Karp at Electronic Arts. "There is an unrivaled loyalty our fans have for the game, and this agreement with CLC allows EA to continue to deliver to fans the best, most innovative college football experience now and for years to come." "When we began our analysis of the videogame landscape, it became apparent that EA Sports was best positioned from a marketing and development perspective to maximize the sales opportunities for college football," said Pat Battle, CEO of The Collegiate Licensing Company. The NCAA deal echoes EA’s long-term exclusive licensing arrangement with the NFL, which shocked competitors and gamers alike when the company announced it last year. While of late Electronic Arts has effectively been the only producer of NCAA football titles, the new exclusive does block competitors, such as Take-Two, from entering the college football market. Check back for more on NCAA Football 2006 as details come in.Source: http://www.ign.com
