Article: Electronic Arts tackles a rival with ESPN deal

Matt Richtel
International Herald Tribune
01-19-2005
Electronic Arts, hoping to solidify its eroding dominance in the sports video game market, has signed a 15-year deal giving it the exclusive right to use the brand of the ESPN sports network in its games. Under the agreement, Electronic Arts, the largest independent video game publisher, will pay $750 million to $850 million for the right to use the ESPN brand for games based on at least nine sports, including baseball, basketball and football, people briefed on the contract's terms said on Monday. Some of that money will pay for commercials promoting the games on ESPN channels, they said. Beyond the deal's length, which is substantial ...

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