According to Gamespot, EA and ESPN have signed an exclusivity deal completely barring Sega from using the ESPN brand name over the course of the next 15 years, beginning when the current contract with SEGA expires in 2006.
The news comes as the second major upset to now-license-holder Sega (and Visual Concepts, who created games under the license). It recently lost the right to publish sports games using the NFL license when EA bought those rights. Now, it will lose the right to the ESPN brand as well.
"The relationship will include established EA SPORTS franchises--which will be enhanced by ESPN telecast, print and online content--as well as new sports games to be published by EA based on ESPN media properties," said EA in a statement.
The agreement will give EA 100% ownership of the ESPN name in sports gaming for 15 years, "...with an option to terminate after ten years under certain conditions," according to the statement.
-Kaleb Horto
The news comes as the second major upset to now-license-holder Sega (and Visual Concepts, who created games under the license). It recently lost the right to publish sports games using the NFL license when EA bought those rights. Now, it will lose the right to the ESPN brand as well.
"The relationship will include established EA SPORTS franchises--which will be enhanced by ESPN telecast, print and online content--as well as new sports games to be published by EA based on ESPN media properties," said EA in a statement.
The agreement will give EA 100% ownership of the ESPN name in sports gaming for 15 years, "...with an option to terminate after ten years under certain conditions," according to the statement.
-Kaleb Horto
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