EA Sports and the NFL have agreed on a multi-year extension of their partnership, securing the future of the Madden series as the “exclusive action simulation game for NFL football.”
This puts any ambitions by rival developers to compete with EA for the official license to rest for the near future. Maximum Football and other genre representatives will have to continue playing from a disadvantage in regards to authenticity.
The deal also covers support for EA Sports College Football and other “entirely new, large-scale interactive experiences,” leaving the door open for any new games.
EA has been steadily increasing its real-world connections with sports partners — by sponsoring Spanish soccer league La Liga, for example. Similar moves are apparent in regards to the NFL, with EA appearing as the presenting sponsor of the 2025 NFL Dublin game and an official MCS — EA’s official Madden Championship Series — tournament being hosted alongside the 2025 NFL Madrid game. Under the extended agreement, such occasions are expected to multiply.
