Electronic Arts has reached a settlement that could give $40 million to more than 100,000 college football and basketball players for using their likenesses in NCAA-branded video games.
The payment covers games that date back to 2003 and will go to players who were either on college rosters or had their images used in games that EA made. Lawyers for the athletes said it would be the first time college athletes would be paid for commercial use of their faces. Payments range from $48 for each year an athlete was on a roster to $951. The latter is for each year the image of an athlete was used in a video game.
EA reached the settlement with Collegiate Licensing Co., which licenses and markets college sports. A player lawsuit against the NCAA is still scheduled for next year. The lawsuit dates back to 2009, and a U.S. district court judge must still approve the settlement.