This weekend, a big football match between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans might help decide who gets the top spot in the AFC.
NBC will show the game as usual, but if you watch on Peacock, you’ll see something special. They’re adding fun stuff from the Madden NFL video games, like cool passing paths and player scores popping up during the game. There might even be some animations from Madden NFL 25! This special version is made for those who love Madden, even if they don’t watch regular football.
“There are millions and millions of Madden fans, and I think we have to really serve them in this game and try to find that perfect blend between the video game and the real game and merge them together,” shared Fred Gaudelli, an NBC Sports exec.
The Madden show on Peacock kicks off Saturday, December 21 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Paul Burmeister will handle the main commentary while Kurt Benkert, who used to be a quarterback, will add Madden graphics to explain the plays. Chad Johnson, a former receiver, will join in to tweak players’ Madden scores live. Henry Leverette, a champ in Madden tournaments, is also helping out.
John Madden, who the games are named after, used to coach and then became a famous broadcaster. His name is such a big deal that Woody Johnson, who owns the New York Jets, reportedly stopped a trade because he didn’t like a player’s Madden score!
Just recently, EA added Saquon Barkley’s no-look spin move to Madden NFL 25, but it’s tricky to pull off. A month ago, Amazon Prime Video released a series called “It’s in the Game,” showing how Madden NFL games were made. Also, guess what? Nicolas Cage is set to portray John Madden in a new movie by David O. Russell.
