US sports broadcaster ESPN has made its first long-term commitment to esports through an agreement with games developer Electronic Arts and the NFL American football league to support the EA Sports Madden NFL 18 Championship Series.
The long-term, multi-event competitive gaming agreement commenced on Friday with the final rounds of the Madden NFL 18 Club Championship and will swing into action with the brand-new Madden NFL Ultimate League. ESPN and Disney XD, the cable television channel targeted at teen and pre-teen boys, will serve as the hub of coverage under the deal.
Unveiled in August in what was claimed to be the biggest commitment to the esports sector by a US professional sports league, the Madden NFL Ultimate League is the first ever competitive gaming sports league of its kind featuring one-on-one competition between 16 of the best Madden NFL 18 players.
It will run from February 2 for two and a half months, culminating at the NFL Draft on April 28. “The Madden NFL Ultimate League is purposely designed to make superstars of our best players, allowing viewers to develop player loyalties and follow competitor rivalries,” Todd Sitrin, senior vice-president and general manager of the Competitive Gaming Division at EA, said.
“Through this collaboration with ESPN and Disney XD, we'll provide ongoing coverage for fans worldwide across a variety of ESPN and Disney platforms, but also digitally through our own Madden streaming and social channels.”
The next broadcast under the agreement will allow fans to follow the Club Championship Final on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes live from the Super Bowl Experience in Minneapolis, on February 1.
Between Super Bowl LII and the 2018 NFL Draft, Disney XD and the ESPN App will become the weekly home to Madden NFL 18 competitive gaming content, showcasing the latest action from the Madden NFL Ultimate League each week. The Madden NFL Ultimate League champion will be crowned at the Madden Bowl, live from the 2018 NFL Draft on ESPN2.
Beginning in April, ESPN2 will also broadcast an Ultimate League episodic series. The content will focus on character and storylines through an exclusive entertainment style, following the best players in the Ultimate League on Tuesdays at 9pm ET until May 1. Episodes will also be available on demand on the ESPN App.
For those players that own Madden NFL 18, they can also follow the action in-game with an upcoming add-on experience soon to be released within the game.
The NFL added that broadcasts of its new competition will also be available in the UK and Ireland via pay-television broadcaster BT Sport, Canada via pay-television broadcaster TSN and Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean and Latin America, including Brazil via ESPN International networks.