EA and NFLPA deal ensures Madden will be the only NFL sim through 2025

EA will continue to have exclusive rights to develop football simulators thanks to new deal.

The Madden franchise has become one of the premiere titles under the EA banner. As the only licensed NFL simulator, football fans flock to Madden to play as their favorite athletes. EA Sports’ deal with the NFLPA keeps exclusive rights to develop these games within EA, but was set to expire in 2021. The companies have inked a new deal, extending this partnership through the year 2025.

With Madden 21 on the horizon, fans were set to get their final dosage of the franchise before the series flips over to the next generation of consoles following the launch of the PS5 and Xbox Series X. The previous deal between Electronic Arts and the NFLPA was set to expire next year, opening the door for another developer to swoop in and get a hold of the coveted NFL license. Of course, this is no longer the case.

It wasn’t too long ago that the NFLPA announced a partnership with 2K, allowing the developer to make football games. However, they explicitly stated that these titles would not be simulation games, as that right remains exclusively with EA. Many fans had hoped this news meant we were inching closer to the return of the NFL 2K franchise, but those wishes will need to be put on hold.

Whether you’re happy or not with where EA has taken the Madden franchise, it’s hard to argue that this new deal doesn’t make good business sense for both parties. Madden is constantly among the top selling games every year. In fact, Madden 20 was the most successful entry in the series to date. Not much is known about the upcoming Madden 21, other than it will feature Raven’s superstar Lamar Jackson as its cover athlete. We expect to learn more about the game during the online EA Play event.