CNNMoney’s Game Over gaming column has a piece pertaining to Electronic Arts’ 15-year deal with the ESPN brand. Could this mean the end of the Madden NFL video game franchise? According to the article, John Madden is under contract for the 2005 - 2006, which means that Madden NFL 2006 would perhaps be the final title in the long running series.

Here are a few more details concerning the new deal:

While the marketing relationship will likely be most visible in upcoming football games, ESPN assets will appear in all of EA’s sports lines, including baseball, basketball, boxing, golf and racing. The two companies are also planning to create new games based on ESPN content, such as the network’s popular X-Games.

Check out the official press release for additional information. The big question is what will this all mean for SEGA’s and Take Two’s sporting titles? The games that were formerly under the ESPN brand will more than likely return to their former branding, the 2K series (NHL 2K5, NBA 2K5 etc..).