Exclusive rights are the bedrock of many EA Sports titles. Whether its Madden, FIFA or NHL - EA Sports have had continual success from being the official partner.
Having the real players, real teams and real stadiums has kept EA Sports as the dominant title in many sports. So its no surprise to see them looking to renew their deal with the NFL.
Exclusive Rights NFL Vote
In a tweet this week, Albert Breer, an NFL reporter, confirmed that the teams owners were voting to ratify an extension to EA Sports exclusivity deal to make simulation games for the NFL.
EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS: All parties will be happy to secure a deal
Their biggest rival, 2K Sports, recently acquired the right to produce an 'arcade-style' NFL game which is the first time in nearly 16 years that the NFL has dealt with anyone but EA.
READ MORE: Will Madden 21 be on PS5?
This could have been the perfect negotiation tactic by the NFL and the general feeling is the vote will pass.
What to expect in Madden 21
Madden 21 could be the best in the franchise yet, especially with EA Sports confirming it will be 'optimized' for Xbox Series X for when the next-gen consoles come out. We expect something similar for the PS5.
With Lamar Jackson the confirmed cover star we can expect lots of exciting options for mobile QB play.
READ MORE: Madden 21 Rookie Rating predictions
Hopefully, this will be the Madden that finally uses cross-platform play to allow for Playstation players to take on Xbox players.
The powerful graphics and processing of next-gen consoles should provide a platform for step changes in balanced gameplay and the depth of the franchise and face of the franchise game modes.
Madden 21 - Big Reveal
We will officially get our first look at Madden 21 on 1 June according to the EA Madden Twitter account.
TEASER: Using social media to hype up
This could mean a few things but is most likely to be a trailer covering some gameplay focuses and the release date to get fans hyped up. We know that Madden is due for release in EA's Q2 period.
EA Play
EA’s summer showcase, EA Play, always has a big chunk dedicated to Madden. So we will likely see major news for Madden 21 at EA Play, which is happening on 11 June.
READ MORE: RealOpinions - the EA Play lineup looks amazing
There’s a lot we could see at the event, even potentially some NCAA content.