NCAA teams going EA's way for the time beingA bit of the buzz over exclusivity licenses emerged last year when Electronic Arts and Take-Two Interactive sought to be the sole publisher of many major and minor league sport video games, and it looks like the scene isn't going to simmer down quite yet now that EA has secured one more exclusive licensing contract today.?This time it's with the US Collegiate Licensing Company, which basically represents college sports.?The deal thus far makes EA the exclusive publisher of college football games for consoles and handhelds over?the next six years and the first of such titles, NCAA Football 2006, is scheduled for a summer release this year.
"'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, Group Vice President of Marketing for 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.
'Electronic Arts has been a tremendous partner, and we are thrilled that the EA SPORTS team has renewed its commitment to the college market. We look forward to seeing how EA will continue to grow its NCAA Football franchise through innovative game play, unique marketing programs and its dedicated sales force.'"
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