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NFL fans had some unexpected good news back in February when the league announced a “multi-year” deal with 2K Games for the development of “multiple” new video games based on the league.

The deal, which marked 2K’s first involvement with NFL since the release of ESPN NFL 2K5 in 2004, took a lot of gamers and fans by surprise and also ended EA Games’ 16 year stint as the sole developer of NFL titles.

EA was quick to release a statement confirming that it remained “the exclusive publisher of NFL simulation games” and clarifying that its agreement with the sport had always allowed for other studios to develop non-simulation games. 

That NFL has taken up this option should come as no surprise – licensing sports brands is big business. 

Fans have long enjoyed recreating their favourite sports at home and while many unlicensed sports related games enjoy significant success, having the likeness of a player, an official team logo or the name of a real-world tournament or league on the box is a guaranteed way to grab consumer attention and shift units.

These sales mean cash not just for games makers, but also the owner of the Intellectual Property being used, who can often expect an upfront sum and ongoing royalties. 

Little wonder then that officially licensed games are available across all formats.

EA’s Sports division has built up a stable of consistently successful console, PC and mobile games in partnership with brands such as UFC, NBA and NFL while 2K has enjoyed great success with its WWE franchise.  

Just as NFL has opted to expand beyond a single developer, NBA recently announced a mobile-centric deal with Nifty Games which will sit alongside its EA tie-up.

It’s not just fast and furious sports that can boast an official video game, cricket fans have the option of Big Ant’s Cricket 19 game which includes fully licensed line-ups from Australia, Australia Women, England and England Women, plus venues Edgbaston, Lord’s, Headingley, Old Trafford, and The Oval.

Away from the world of video games, fans can up the ante by playing officially licensed iGames such as The Grand National detailed by Casino Hawks. The makers of traditional board and table-top games also use licensed branding to draw sales, such as this Subbuteo UEFA Champions League Playset, a 2018 FIFA World Cup Monopoly edition or – for the really retro feel – this Manchester City Top Trumps set.

But no matter what form the game takes, the makers are all seeking the same thing – harnessing a familiar player photo, a well-known logo or the publicity surrounding a major sporting even to draw the eye in an increasingly crowded and competitive market where potential buyers have more options than ever.

ITV has revealed the trailer for its full coverage of Euro 96, which starts on May 11 on ITV4 and on the ITV Hub streaming service. 

With Euro 2020 postponed for twelve months, ITV Hub has raided the archives to provide football fans with a slice of sports nostalgia as the platform unearths every match from 1996’s tournament, hosted in England, for Euro 96 Relived.

Airing from May 11, ITV Hub takes a trip down sporting memory lane and will transmit all 31 games from one of the most closely contested tournaments in recent history.

In addition, ITV4 will also show the five games that featured the England football team in some of their most memorable head to heads, as well as the final between Germany and the Czech Republic.

During Euro 96 Relived, football fans will be able to relive the drama from the epic Summer of ’96, during which host nation England fought to bring the trophy back home, with a squad made up of sporting legends Paul Gascoigne, Alan Shearer, David Seaman, Stuart Pearce and Teddy Sheringham.

1996 was the last time England reached the semi-finals of the European Championships and remains fondly remembered thanks to Baddiel and Skinner and The Lightning Seeds’ chart-topping anthem Three Lions (Football’s Coming Home), which soundtracks the television version of ITV’s new trailer, which has been produced by ITV Creative.

In the absence of live football, the lead-in to the tournament features a series of classic big matches returning to ITV’s main channel from Saturday May 2, including the 1987 FA Cup final, with Coventry City taking on Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal v Man United in the 1979 FA Cup final, the 1989 Liverpool v Arsenal title decider, England v Cameroon in the 1990 World Cup, and England’s game against Colombia in the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Ed Ross, ITV’s Marketing Controller, said: “This trailer should give fans a taste of the atmosphere surrounding one of this country’s all-time great sporting events, Euro 96. 

“With no football to look forward to in the near future, we’re aiming to bring back some of the fun, anticipation and celebration of that sunny summer for fans to enjoy at home.”

To coincide with when the World Snooker Championship was due to take place, Eurosport has produced a series of brilliant vodcasts with some of the greatest faces in the game.

The legendary Ronnie O’Sullivan spoke to Eurosport about his life away from snooker.

First interaction with snooker
I was probably about eight years of age. I started off playing on my cousin’s table because he had a little table at his house. Just hitting a few balls around and my dad saw that I had a bit of love for playing it and bought me a pool table for Christmas. Then I remember that moment I got my own pool table and that was it, I was on it all the time.

On home setup
Obviously I had to go to school and stuff like that and sometimes I couldn’t get to the snooker club because I’d come home and only maybe get a couple of hours on the table then I’d come home, have dinner and go to bed. So, my dad said “we’ve got to find a place where we can get a full-size table in.” We moved about 100m from where we were living before. But he just walked across the back of the garden, he knew we could get a full-size table in there if he built a room and that was it. He said “yeah, we’ll have it” and we bought the house, gutted it, put a snooker room in there and that was it. So, I had my own snooker room from the age of 12, No, maybe even younger 10, 11.

On dealing with pressure of expectation
I don’t know really. I didn’t really feel the pressure. I was just excited, I used to love playing, I loved competing. So, it wasn’t pressure. Sometimes when you’re playing a challenge match against another kid my age that was a horrible type of pressure because you never wanted to lose to someone in a big challenge match and he ended up beating me. I remember his name – Craig Stockford – he’d came all the way down from Leeds. But most of the time I was playing just amateurs that were older than me or juniors so I had nothing to lose. I just enjoyed playing and then once you start to win and compete and win tournaments if anything the pressure made you play better really.

On playing with a crowd/TV
The Cockney Classic, that was the first time I played on TV. But I always used to love a crowd. So, if I was at the club practicing and no one was watching we’d be playing but five or six people used to come down to sit and watch that would be thinking I have to perform for these people. I didn’t want the other guy making me look silly. So, I used to up my game and I used to do that all the time. I always used to perform better if there was a crowd or there was something on the match. I was never a great practice player.

On working with Ray Reardon
My dad made the phone call to somebody. I don’t know who he called. But he said “Ronnie could do with a little bit of someone with a bit of experience in his corner. Who would you recommend?” They mentioned a few names then said “the one you really want to get hold of would be Ray Reardon.” So we said “Can you get his number for me?” and he said “yeah, no problem.” So we got Ray’s number and my dad phoned him up and he had a chat to him and said “Would you want to help my son?” And he went “Yeah, love to! No problem.” So he got off the phone to Ray Reardon and phoned me up and “here, I’ve got Ray Reardon’s number, he’s waiting for you to call him.” This was halfway through a match, I was playing Andy Hicks at the time, and I think I was 9-7 down in the final session. I had a phone call from Ray and I said “Ray, I’m playing well but I’m 9-7 down.” He went “he’s not scared of you, that’s why.” I was like “really?” And he said “No, he’s not scared of you, no, no, no. Just keep him tight, keep tight, don’t go for them ones where you leave them easy.” So I thought ‘alright’ and I tightened up a little bit and I won the match quite easily, about 13-10 or 13-11. But it felt different, it felt a different way of playing. I felt in control. I got more mistakes out of my opponents. So, that was my first lesson with Ray, over the phone. Then, the next day he was in Sheffield so we really got to work on the table. And then from that moment onwards I was a different player, a completely different player, and all for the better as well.

On his relationship off the table
I’ve got to say his company was the best company I’ve ever had on tour. He was the funniest. He had a lot of class. He was hilarious, just great fun and had a little twinkle in his eye. Such a character and such brilliant stories. I’d never get fed up of working with Ray because we’d just get on the table and for me to enjoy the next five or ten years of my game, he would probably be better than anyone to have in my corner. We could just talk about the game and certain aspects of it. It’s not just about potting balls, it’s more about the science of the game. I’ve probably lost a little bit of that because it’s been so long since I’ve worked with Ray that I’ve probably gone more back to how I used to play. But to work with someone like Ray was a dream come true. 

On Ray’s help with stress of sport
He just had great faith in me. He used to say “no one plays snooker like you and I’ve been in this game a long time and all you’ve got to do is just go out there and make sure you’ve got a good defence, no one’s better than you in the balls and just play, just play.” And that was it really. He had confidence that I could manage myself right off the table and be professional enough and that was it really; you’ve got to have trust in each other. I think he trusted in me that I was going to give it 100% and that was enough.

Watch new snooker vodcasts on the Eurosport.co.uk website with forthcoming episodes to feature some the greatest names in the sport.

Eleven Sports Portugal has launched of a new eSports Racing Series format in partnership with the GTC Race Centre and the Autódromo Virtual de Lisboa.

The contest will consist of six heats and culminate in a grand final on Sunday 7^th June.

Anyone is welcome to enter the pre-qualifying rounds, with registration free for all motorsports fans and gamers.

The winner of each heat will receive a complimentary pass to ELEVEN SPORTS for six months. The overall race winner will be awarded a “Paddock Legends” jacket and an annual pass to Eleven Sports.

Eleven Sports Portugal will broadcast the six heats and final live on Eleven Sports 3.

The race follows on from Eleven Sports Portugal’s Virtual Race of Portugal event last month, which put pro drivers up against motorsports fans

Eleven Sports Portugal’s offering has been made free-to-all until the end of May, to give all Portuguese sports fans access to its archive of content and Esports events while they’re at home. 

The BBC is to re-run some of “the most epic sporting moments in recent history,” including the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, as it seeks to fill schedule gaps following the global lockdown.

Danny Boyle’s spectacular celebration of the nation’s history and culture featured live music and appearances from a host of stars including Rowan Atkinson, David Beckham, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Kenneth Branagh and was topped by specially shot scene in which Daniel Craig’s 007 escorted Her Majesty The Queen to the stadium in spectacular style.

Football fans are promised “an abundance of content” including the best of Euro ’96 while Match Of Their Day’s pundits will choose their favourite Premier League matches and top moments from years gone by.

There’ll also be plenty of domestic football to indulge in with Football Focus continuing every week and classic matches every Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

With no football for fans to go and watch at 3pm on Saturdays, the BBC Sport website and iPlayer will instead keep them entertained by streaming in full some of the best matches from our archive, as part of a weekly Rewind series.

In early July some of the greatest ever moments from Wimbledon return to screen so audiences can watch some of the classic matches from over the decades – including Andy Murray ending the UK’s 77 year wait for a men’s single champion.

In place of this year’s World Snooker Championships in April fans can tune into some of the best matches from Championships gone by, enjoying some of the sport’s best shots, most thrilling games and a fluke or two!

Test Match Special will delve into the rich archive to mark the 40th anniversary of its renowned View From The Boundary feature. Forty of the best episodes, including interviews with Sir Elton John, Malala Yousafzai and John Cleese will be available to listen on BBC Sounds.

Director of Sport, Barbara Slater, said: “In these unprecedented and difficult times we are delighted to bring some of the most incredible sporting events from years gone by to our audiences over the next few months. 

“From glorious moments at the Olympics including the magic of London 2012, thrilling Euro ’96 matches, wonderful Wimbledon moments and the best of World Championship snooker, there is something for everyone to enjoy.”