🏈 EA sources "confident" of NFL license agreement 2026

I'm obviously not an attorney, but this sounds liek some bad cope, or a leak from EA trying to generate positive pressure as they negotiate their monopoly on running this unregulated casino for children. Anyone else have a better read, or take on this stuff?

They've been selling us literally the same game, right down to identical cards / content for 3+ years, but SUUURE you've got new, top secret features in the pipeline (Saquon backwards butt-hurdle anyone?). Pathetic, lying, lazy, incompetent fucks. 🥸

https://insider-gaming.com/ea-sources-confident-of-nfl-license-agreement/

For months now, negotiations between the league and publisher regarding the exclusive NFL license that EA has held for 20 years have continued. The current deal is scheduled to end after the 2026 NFL season.

A reason behind the confidence of the partnership continuing are the current plans in development for the Madden NFL franchise.

“We have things in the works that are two, three, four years away,” one source said. “There’s a lot in the pipeline that has been heavily planned with designing well underway. Putting those resources into something that might be ending just wouldn’t make financial sense.”

When pressed on what that “pipeline” includes, sources wouldn’t go into much detail aside from saying there are features coming “brand new to the game”. They couldn’t confirm whether any will be ready for Madden 26 or not.

Hogwash garbage. NFL only cares about revenue not game features being added. Sadly people continue dumping 100's/1000's into this garbage so the Nfl shouldnt care and just continue to extend the contract. This is the absolute worst madden in recent times imo and the fact a bunch of nfl legends are turning away from EA is hilarious.

Does it matter anymore? the game is horrendous and we keep buying it. People don't care about how bad the game is so fuck it. I'm done after this year, i don't have the energy to sit there and learn all the glitches and 50 adjustments just to complete a pass. My life doesn't revolve around winning a MUT game like it does for many others

Eagles215 said:

Hogwash garbage. NFL only cares about revenue not game features being added. Sadly people continue dumping 100's/1000's into this garbage so the Nfl shouldnt care and just continue to extend the contract. This is the absolute worst madden in recent times imo and the fact a bunch of nfl legends are turning away from EA is hilarious.

Yeah, Barry Sanders "lieked" my Tweet the other day when I retweeted his decision to remove himself from the EA madness moving forward. I assume EA was too cheap to pay Jerry, which is how we end up with Lance Briggs and Ben Coates as Ultimate Legends. Oh well. 

Can't wait for Joe Montana next weekend, maybe I can finally move on from Poe OOP.

MaddenIsTerrible said:

Does it matter anymore? the game is horrendous and we keep buying it. People don't care about how bad the game is so fuck it. I'm done after this year, i don't have the energy to sit there and learn all the glitches and 50 adjustments just to complete a pass. My life doesn't revolve around winning a MUT game like it does for many others

You're not wrong, highly doubtful that any other organization that can afford to pay the NFL for licensing rights would be more of the same. NBA2K25 is pay to win, although the game is significantly more polished and has way more content and modern features compared with Madden. 

Would be out of the frying pan and into the fryer, but I'd love to choose which AAA video game corporation extorts me for a thousand dollars a year and a thousand+ hours of my time annually. Call me old fashioned, but I prefer a reach around when I'm getting bent over and assaulted. Uggh.

peatrick said:

Yeah, Barry Sanders "lieked" my Tweet the other day when I retweeted his decision to remove himself from the EA madness moving forward. I assume EA was too cheap to pay Jerry, which is how we end up with Lance Briggs and Ben Coates as Ultimate Legends. Oh well. 

Can't wait for Joe Montana next weekend, maybe I can finally move on from Poe OOP.

Joe should be good since they are finally adding xfactor abilities. Maybe dots 2-3 ap?

If bo jackson/rice are not in s7 something definitely happened between EA and all these vets

peatrick said:

You're not wrong, highly doubtful that any other organization that can afford to pay the NFL for licensing rights would be more of the same. NBA2K25 is pay to win, although the game is significantly more polished and has way more content and modern features compared with Madden. 

Would be out of the frying pan and into the fryer, but I'd love to choose which AAA video game corporation extorts me for a thousand dollars a year and a thousand+ hours of my time annually. Call me old fashioned, but I prefer a reach around when I'm getting bent over and assaulted. Uggh.

I just don't care anymore honestly. The game is a glitchy buggy mess and it gets worse every year. Fuck Madden and fuck college too, i'm done after this year. I can't deal with the garbage anymore

I certainly hope not

peatrick said:

Yeah, Barry Sanders "lieked" my Tweet the other day when I retweeted his decision to remove himself from the EA madness moving forward. I assume EA was too cheap to pay Jerry, which is how we end up with Lance Briggs and Ben Coates as Ultimate Legends. Oh well. 

Can't wait for Joe Montana next weekend, maybe I can finally move on from Poe OOP.

Joe Montana next week? Were there leaks?

weplaythose said:

Joe Montana next week? Were there leaks?

EA getting more and more lazy, staging two weeks of content. Leaks same place as always.

NIXONtheBOSS said:

I certainly hope not

You and me both, goodness gracious. I've been threatening to retire for a hot minute, but I'll need to grow a pair of balls before that can happen. 

At least I've stopped spending money, got a little out of control there for a minute, oof.

MaddenIsTerrible said:

I just don't care anymore honestly. The game is a glitchy buggy mess and it gets worse every year. Fuck Madden and fuck college too, i'm done after this year. I can't deal with the garbage anymore

cya next year

EazyBreezy said:

cya next year

Nah this is it for me. It's just too much bullshit and i just can't sit there and watch every single glitch or every single counter to block this guy or shade this guy, it's too much and it ruins the game. Abilities are awful and the packs suck. It's a chore to play this game and it's not fun anymore.

Eagles215 said:

Hogwash garbage. NFL only cares about revenue not game features being added. Sadly people continue dumping 100's/1000's into this garbage so the Nfl shouldnt care and just continue to extend the contract. This is the absolute worst madden in recent times imo and the fact a bunch of nfl legends are turning away from EA is hilarious.

Bingo. The NFL is happy with their revenues from the arrangement and will renew. Bank it.