Esports has been rapidly growing in the mainstream for years now with major TV networks broadcasting fighting game tournaments, MOBA matches, and much more. With Esports on the rise, EA and Disney are looking to capitalize on it with the virtual version of America’s favorite sport: Madden.
EA is partnering with ESPN 2 and Disney XD to broadcast the Madden NFL Ultimate League to expand their audience and spread awareness of the up and coming genre of sports.
“We wanted to work with long-term partners, and that is how we wound up with ESPN and Disney,” said senior vice president and general manager for competitive gaming at EA Todd Sitrin. “ESPN offers us distribution to a sports audience, and Disney XD lets us talk to an entertainment audience and a younger audience. The combination of the two is important.”
Madden Ultimate League will bring the best Madden players who have won multiple championships or collected the most points in the Madden Championship Series to the forefront and allow them to play in high stakes games. ESPN 2 will broadcast the Madden NFL 18 Club Championship Final on February 1st, live from the location of the Super Bowl in Minnesota ahead of the Super Bowl on February 4th. 32 players will compete for the ability to attend the Super Bowl this Sunday.
Disney XD will air weekly broadcasts of the Madden NFL Ultimate League for football fans to watch during the off-season. EA is expecting at least 30 hours of Madden content to air on TV per year going forward.
Sitrin went on to talk about the exciting future for esports going forward.
“We are excited,” Sitrin said. “We are seeing a lot of growth in the player base of competitors who want to be in these events, and we are seeing a substantial increase in our television and our digital platforms. We are bullish on esports.”
Madden NFL 18 is out now on Xbox One and PS4.
