The eSports world just picked up some major new partners. Today EA and the NFL announced that they are teaming up with ESPN and Disney XD for exclusive broadcasts of the upcoming EA SPORTS Madden NFL 18 Championship Series.
The action starts with the final rounds of the EA SPORTS Madden NFL 18 Club Championship, kicking off at the Pro Bowl today, January 26th. Fans can tune-in to ESPNEWS starting on Saturday to catch the quarterfinal action. Finally, the Club Championship Final will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes from the Super Bowl Experience in Minneapolis, MN on Thursday, February 1st.
Unlike the real NFL season, which mostly goes into hibernation after the Super Bowl until the start of the NFL Draft, there’s no off-season for Madden eSports. In the time between the Super Bowl and the Draft, Disney XD and the ESPN app will be showcasing action from the Madden NFL Ultimate League each week. The champion of that league will be crowned at the Madden Bowl, which will be broadcast live from ESPN2’s 2018 NFL Draft coverage.
Gamers who own Madden NFL 18 can also follow the action in-game with an upcoming add-on experience. EA SPORTS will also be releasing a limited edition paid DLC bundle of exclusive Madden Ultimate Team content and packs aimed squarely at Madden Competitive Gaming fans. The packs will be available for a limited time on the Ultimate Team Store on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 during the Madden NFL Ultimate League season.
Here are the full broadcast details for bot the Madden NFL 18 Club Championship and the Madden NFL Ultimate League.
- Madden NFL 18 Club Championship Divisional Finals, Live from the Pro Bowl
- January 27: 10pm ET ESPNEWS
- Orlando, FL (Pro Bowl)
- Madden NFL 18 Club Championship Final, Live from Super Bowl LII
- February 1: 9pm ET ESPN2/Deportes
- Minneapolis, MN (Super Bowl LII)
- 12 one-hour episodes of the EA SPORTS Madden NFL 18 Ultimate League Regular Season
- Thursdays
- Feb – April
- Exclusive to Disney XD
- Available on ESPN VOD
- Half-hour episodes of an Ultimate League Series
- Tuesdays at 9pm ET
- Weekly from April 3 – May 1
- Exclusive to ESPN2/ESPN VOD, Disney XD and Deportes
- Madden NFL 18 Ultimate League Championship Final, Live from the NFL Draft
- April 28: 7pm ET ESPN2
- Arlington, TX (NFL Draft)
Broadcasts will also be available in the UK and Ireland via BT Sport; Canada via TSN; and Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean, and Latin America via ESPN International networks.
