EA Stuffed by NBA [Dec 21, 2004, 09:06 am ET] – Share – Viewing Comments
IGN has
a report up stating that the NBA has rejected an offer from Electronic Arts to
form an exclusive video game relationship with the pro basketball league in the
nature of EA's recent deal with the NFL (story). The economics
are cited as the obvious reason here: "One of the reasons is that the NBA Live
series simply doesn't have a stranglehold on the market the way Madden has for
years, so by signing an exclusive deal with EA, the NBA would actually be losing
money." The story also lays to rest fears that an exclusive baseball deal is on
deck:
Sources aren't quite as clear in terms of potential dealings with Major League Baseball as a few publishers were worried a deal was already in place for EA to step in and take over like they did with the NFL. But after the EA/NFL deal went down, at least one publisher was able to re-up their MLB contract for three more games, so it looks like a false alarm as the only exclusive EA was able to lockup for the time being was the NFL.
All EA really needs to do now is pour unlimited funding and resources into Live 2006 so it does become the dominant hoops franchise on the shelves (assuming they can't simply absorb the competition). Like they said, this deal isn't happening only because the NBA won't be profiting from it...yet.
This is absolute genius on EA's part. The whore that is professional sports is lying with its legs spread for any and all takers, as long as the price is right. It should have been obvious to anyone who's bought a ticket to a game at the American Airlines Center or Lincoln Financial Field that this was inevitable and imminent. EA just happened to be the first to seize on the opportunity.
This is absolute genius on EA's part. The whore that is professional sports is lying with its legs spread for any and all takers, as long as the price is right. It should have been obvious to anyone who's bought a ticket to a game at the American Airlines Center or Lincoln Financial Field that this was inevitable and imminent. EA just happened to be the first to seize on the opportunity.
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