Take-Two Admits Sports Leagues Discussions

Following revelations from Activision CEO Bobby Kotick yesterday at the Barney Citigroup Entertainment, Media & Telecommunications Conference, concerning next generation game pricing, details have also emerged of an interesting speech at the same conference from Take-Two president Paul Eibeler. According to Eibeler, the company has approached a number of sports leagues in an attempt to secure longer licensing agreements. This comes as a response to Electronic Arts' new exclusive deal with the NFL, itself motivated by the success of Take-Two’s budget pricing of Sega’s ESPN range of titles. Eibeler is quoted as saying that the company is "asking the other leagues and talking to the other leagues about longer-term commitments." He did not reveal the outcome of these negotiations but indicated that the leagues had been “receptive”. Most current licensing deals run for only one or two seasons, suggesting that Take-Two is seeking to create far more security in the development of its brands. However, it is not clear whether the company will continue to sell them at a budget price.