- Microsoft and Surface NFL transactions continue

Madden NFL Mobile is an American football simulation video game, derived from National Football League, developed and published by EA Sports for Android & iOS device on August 26, 2014. Madden Mobile shares similar gameplay contents with its console version. Madden NFL Mobile is essentially the mobile version of Madden Ultimate Team (MUT), with features like players and cards being available. There’re Season matches, Live Events, Head-to-Head online competitions, and Leagues matches in Madden NFL Mobile, although it owns an independent database.  

Microsoft struck a five-year deal with the NFL to make Surface the official tablet of the league more than four years ago. While the deal was supposed to run for five years, Microsoft is now renewing it for a sixth year. Surface will now continue to be used for video reviews in NFL games until the end of the 2018 / 2019 season.

Microsoft’s exclusive NFL deal has never been far from controversy. The software giant was forced to “coach” NFL announcers to not call its Surface tablets an iPad, and the company had to defend its tablets after the Patriots stopped using them. Despite this, Microsoft has reportedly spent $400 million on its Surface NFL deal, and it involves a complex range of infrastructure, software, and basic storage cabinets and cases used to protect the tablets. Microsoft has also produced its own Surface Type Covers with NFL logos, and the Madden 17 game also uses the tablets.

“We're excited to help the NFL change the game with Surface devices being used by players and coaches on the sidelines to make more informed decisions, referees using Surface for instant replay to enhance the speed of the game, and teams using Microsoft products in their business and football operations,” says Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s corporate vice president, in a statement to SportsPro. We look forward to continuing the partnership next season.”