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===Sports games became big business=== On 13 December 2004, [[Electronic Arts]] began a string of deals that granted exclusive rights to several prominent sports organizations, starting with the NFL.<ref>{{Cite web | author=Robinson, Jon and Doug Perry | title=Only Game in Town | publisher=IGN | date=2004-12-13 | url=http://sports.ign.com/articles/572/572886p1.html | accessdate=2006-01-16}}</ref> This was quickly followed with two deals in January 2005 securing rights to the AFL<ref>{{Cite web | author=Surette, Tim | title=EA scores exclusive AFL deal | publisher=[[GameSpot]] | date=2005-01-10 | url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6116065.html | accessdate=2006-01-16}}</ref> and ESPN licenses.<ref>{{Cite web | author=Feldman, Curt | title=Electronic Arts, ESPN ink exclusive 15-year deal | publisher=[[GameSpot]] | date=2005-01-17 | url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6116473/electronic-arts-espn-ink-exclusive-15-year-deal | accessdate=2006-01-16}}</ref> This was a particularly hard blow to [[SEGA]], the previous holder of the ESPN license, who had already been affected by EA's NFL deal. As the market for football brands was being quickly taken by EA, [[Take-Two Interactive]] responded by contacting the Major League Baseball Players Association and signing a deal that granted exclusive third-party major-league baseball rights;<ref>{{Cite web | author=Thorson, Tor | title=Take-Two inks agreement with MLB Players Association | publisher=[[GameSpot]] | date=2005-01-24 | url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6116946.html | accessdate=2006-01-16}}</ref> a deal not as restrictive, as first-party projects were still allowed. The NBA was then approached by several developers, but declined to enter into an exclusivity agreement, instead granting long-term licenses to [[Electronic Arts]], [[Take-Two Interactive]], [[Midway Games]], [[Sony]], and [[Atari]].<ref>{{Cite web | author=Surette, Tim | title=NBA evades exclusivity | publisher=[[GameSpot]] | date=2005-03-22 | url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6120864.html | accessdate=2006-01-16}}</ref> In April 2005, EA furthered its hold on American football licensing by securing rights to all NCAA brands.<ref>{{Cite web | author=Surette, Tim | title=EA scores NCAA Football rights | publisher=[[GameSpot]] | date=2005-04-11 | url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6121995/ea-scores-ncaa-football-rights | accessdate=2006-01-16}}</ref>
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