STAMFORD, Conn.—NBC Sports and Peacock have announced that they are working for the second consecutive year with the National Football League, EA Sports and Genius Sports to present a EA Sports Madden NFL Cast of the Baltimore Ravens versus the Cincinnati Bengals Thanksgiving matchup.
Blending video game elements and live action, the stream will be an immersive, data-powered live football experience that injects Madden NFL’s unique brand elements as animated overlays, the producers said.
Featuring live EA Sports Madden NFL 26 graphics, route trees, play cards and player ratings, the Madden NFL Cast will show football strategy, information and other features for viewers, drawing on 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 company said.
Last year’s inaugural Madden NFL Cast complemented the Houston Texans-Kansas City Chiefs afternoon matchup on Sat., Dec. 21.
For this year’s Madden NFL Cast, the main coverage angle will predominantly come from the hi-sky camera located behind the quarterback, the view most familiar to Madden gamers, rather than from television’s traditional sideline camera location.
“We are excited to once again work with the NFL, EA SPORTS, and Genius Sports to offer fans the ability to watch Madden NFL come to life, exclusively on Peacock. It’s appropriate that this year’s Madden NFL Cast presentation takes place on Thanksgiving, an NFL holiday tradition that meant so much to John and now carries his name,” said 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). “We look forward to showcasing the Madden NFL Cast in primetime as well as introducing some new features that viewers and gamers will enjoy.”
“We are thrilled to partner again with NBC Sports, EA Sports and Genius Sports to present the Madden NFL Cast on Peacock following last year’s successful debut,” said Grace Senko, NFL vice president, media strategy and business development. “We are always looking for exciting and innovative ways to present our game and reach new fans. John Madden was the ultimate teacher, and this production will honor his vast contributions to the game on a holiday he helped make synonymous with football.”
The live stream, available exclusively on Peacock, will feature a dedicated commentary team.
“We’re at a unique moment where the lines between traditional sports consumption and interactive entertainment continue to blur," said Evan Dexter, vice president of franchise strategy and marketing at EA Sports. “The EA Sports Madden NFL Cast represents our vision of growing the love of football by creating the most immersive, data-powered viewership experience possible using the unique elements of Madden that have been teaching generations of football gamers how to play, read, and understand the game. That was John Madden’s vision and this partnership with NBC Sports, the NFL, and Genius Sports champions that mission and proves alternative broadcasts aren’t just a trend, they’re the future. We’re proud to be leading innovation in this space on football’s biggest stage."
The Madden NFL Cast will be produced by Steve Greenberg and directed by Tim Nelson. Regular NBC Sports’ coverage of Bengals at Ravens will be presented on Thursday, Nov. 27 at 8 p.m. ET across NBC, Peacock, Telemundo, and Universo.
