“This is a show made for true football lovers – you won’t want to miss it.” – Chad Ochocinco, Saturday’s Madden NFL Cast ‘ratings adjuster’ on Peacock
“There is so much strategy that goes into playing the virtual game that matches the real-life version.” – Kurt Benkert, who will discuss and predict play options
“Nothing was cooler than making it to the NFL and then seeing myself in Madden and playing as myself.” – Football Night in America analyst Devin McCourty
EA SPORTS Madden NFL Reimagines Live Football with Immersive, Data-Driven Alternate Broadcast Blending Video Game and Live Action for a Unique Viewing Experience, Streaming Exclusively on Peacock
Traditional Coverage of the Texans-Chiefs Game Begins at Noon ET on Saturday, Dec. 21 on NBC and Peacock with Special Football Night in America
STAMFORD, Conn. – Dec. 17, 2024 – EA SPORTS Madden NFL Cast, a first-of-its-kind live football experience blending video game elements and live action, will stream live exclusively on Peacock this Saturday, Dec. 21 at 1 p.m. ET for the Houston Texans-Kansas City Chiefs game.
The stream, a collaboration between NBC Sports, Peacock, the National Football League, EA SPORTS, and Genius Sports, will be an immersive, data-powered live football experience that injects Madden NFL’s unique brand elements as animated overlays (images below). Featuring live EA SPORTS Madden NFL 25 graphics, route trees, play cards and player ratings, the Madden NFL Cast will transform football strategy, information and IQ for viewers, enabled by the NFL’s Next Gen Stats and GeniusIQ, Genius Sports’ next generation data and AI platform. GeniusIQ combines real-time data insights with fully branded animations, delivering an immersive viewing experience.
The Texans (9-5) and Chiefs (13-1) meet on Saturday in a showdown of division leaders from GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. Eleven players on the Texans and Chiefs rosters have a Madden rating above 90, highlighted by Kansas City stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, who were two of only six players to begin this NFL season in the “Madden 99 Club” with 99 overall ratings. Houston tackle Laremy Tunsil (95 rating) and running back Joe Mixon (93) are the top Texans in Madden ratings.
The live stream, available exclusively on Peacock, will feature a dedicated commentary team with NBC Sports’ Paul Burmeister handling play-by-play; former NFL quarterback, YouTuber and Madden NFL expert Kurt Benkert utilizing graphic overlays to discuss and predict play options; and six-time Cincinnati Bengals Pro Bowl wide receiver Chad Ochocinco – who frequently discussed his own Madden rating in production meetings with John Madden – serving as a real-time player “ratings adjuster.” Also joining the production will be pro Madden NFL player Henry Leverette, who won the Ultimate Madden Bowl championship ring in February, and is the first player in Madden NFL Championship Series history to reach $1 million in career earnings.
The EA SPORTS Madden NFL Cast will be produced by Steve Greenberg and directed by Geoff Butler. NBC Sports’ Executive Producer of NFL, Fred Gaudelli, who was the lead producer for John Madden’s final seven seasons in the broadcast booth (2002-05 at ABC, 2006-08 at NBC), heads production of the presentation.
What They’re Saying:
“The Madden NFL Cast is an awesome way to bring the virtual and real world of football together in a way that fans can resonate with. As a former quarterback, I’ve spent countless hours playing Madden, not just for the fun of it, but to develop my real-life game. There is so much strategy that goes into playing the virtual game that matches the real-life version. It’s been such a huge part of my life, both on and off the field, and I’m excited to share that personal experience to help fans see the game in a whole new way.” – Kurt Benkert
“Madden NFL has been a part of my life for years – it’s how I sharpened my understanding of the game and kept the competition going off the field. As a Madden Ratings Adjustor, I know every detail that makes this game great, and now, with the EA SPORTS Madden NFL Cast, I get to bring that experience to fans across the country. This is a show made for true football lovers—you won’t want to miss it.” -- Chad Ochocinco
“John Madden on the call of a big game is the soundtrack of so many of my NFL viewing memories So many football fans have learned about the NFL and fallen in love with it through their own playing of the Madden game. Bringing all of that together in this telecast is a pretty cool concept and I’m thrilled to have a role in bringing the idea to life.” – Paul Burmeister
“I remember growing up playing Madden NFL – playing with my brother either on my team or against one another – and we would play it all day. My mom would have to come in to tell us to stop playing Madden during the long holiday breaks or in the summer. We would create ourselves in Madden and play on our favorite team. Nothing was cooler than making it to the NFL and then seeing myself in Madden and playing as myself – a childhood dream come true. I feel pretty fortunate to say that not only did I make it into Madden, but I was a pretty good player in the game too!” – NBC Sports’ Devin McCourty, who averaged an 89.2 Madden rating over 13 seasons.
“Madden 05 was the first game I was truly obsessive over. I’d get home after school, see Ray Lewis on the cover, and park myself in front of the TV. Each year after, I begged my parents for the game. What I loved about it then and still love about it now is how much it grows fandom. As a kid, I wanted to learn so much more about the players I was using in the game. It built a foundation of knowledge that I use in my job today.” -- NBC Sports’ Noah Eagle, who is calling Texans-Chiefs on NBC and Peacock
In addition to McCourty, NBC Sports’ Football Night in America teammates Rodney Harrison averaged a 92.9 player rating over 11 seasons, Chris Simms peaked with an 84 rating in Madden 07, and Jason Garrett had a 73 rating in Madden 01.
NBC Sports’ award-winning Texans-Chiefs coverage will also be presented on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 1 p.m. ET across NBC, Peacock, and Universo, with a special Football Night in America at Noon ET on NBC and Peacock. Saturday’s game on NBC/Peacock will be called by Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analyst), and Kathryn Tappen (sidelines). Terry McAulay serves as the rules analyst.
Fans can also join the conversation using the official hashtag #EASPORTSMaddenNFLCast.
The Madden NFL Cast will be available on-demand on Peacock through Saturday, Dec. 28.
The Madden NFL Cast follows several notable sports industry milestones on Peacock this year, including the record-setting Peacock Exclusive AFC Wild Card Game last January; the first-ever NFL game in Brazil that streamed exclusively on Peacock; and the critically acclaimed viewing experience for the 2024 Paris Olympics, highlighted by fan-favorite show Gold Zone and product features like the Gen AI-powered “Your Daily Olympic Recap” and Multiview, which is available for select Premier League matches this season.
Execution of the Madden NFL Cast is weather dependent given visibility required.
—NBC SPORTS—
