Gamespot is reporting that the NHL has signed non-exclusive, multi-year licensing deals with both Electronic Arts and 2K Sports, eliminating the possibility of a repeat of the battles for exclusivity seen with both Major League Baseball and the National Football League.
It had been reported late last year that EA had scooped up the exclusive player name rights from the NHLPA, but that the NHL refused to license their end of the game unless 2K Sports was cut in on the NHLPA deal. For those unaware of how the system works, the NHL holds the licensing rights to the teams, logos, arenas and uniforms while the NHLPA holds the rights to the players themselves. The NHL released the following statement following the signing of the current licensing deals;
"NHL fans and consumers want more choices and extending our relationships with EA Sports and 2K Sports offers them the ability to choose the quality games they want to play," -Brian Jennings, NHL Senior VP of Consumer Product Marketing
I can't begin to tell you how happy this makes me, not because I love hockey, but because someone finally stood up for the fans. Apparently the NHL gets it and doesn't want to see the loss of any momentum they've gained with fans following the labor issues of the previous season. We've all seen what the exclusivity agreements in both football and baseball have wrought so far, and it hasn't been pretty. Simply put, when you've got to beat the other guy, you try harder. Take that away, and you wind up with lackluster, sloppy titles. Kudos to the NHL for a job well done.
Check out the Gamespot article here and rejoice that at least one sport will remain competitive in the gaming arena for years to come.
