Alternative telecasts were once a novelty. They’ve become a big—and growing—business for NFL broadcasters.
NBC Sports, EA Sports, and Genius Sports are collaborating to create the first “EA Sports Madden NFL Cast” for the Chiefs-Texans game on Saturday, Dec. 21 (1 pm ET).
The exclusive Peacock stream will combine live action on the field with animation and other elements of the popular 25-year-old video game. The goal, NBC says, is to deliver an “immersive, data-driven” alt-cast.
Fans of the Madden franchise will recognize familiar features, including player ratings, route trees, and play cards. Peacock’s team will include play-by-play announcer Paul Burmeister, analyst Chad Ochocino, and Madden expert/YouTuber Kurt Benkert. Ochocinco, the former Bengals All-Pro wide receiver, was famous for discussing his player ratings with the late, great Madden, who passed in 2021. Henry Leverett, who won the “Ultimate Madden Bowl” in February, will also be part of the production.
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, the two biggest stars on the Super Bowl champion Chiefs, both started this season with 99 overall player ratings.
The legendary Madden loved calling Thanksgiving Day games. This weekend will mark the third annual “John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration” by the NFL. Chiefs-Texans will also be shown NBC and Universo, with the Football Night in America pregame show airing at Noon ET. It will mark the Peacock’s platform’s first-ever sports alt-cast.
“It has long been a point of pride for John and the Madden family that their video game has helped generations of fans and gamers learn and enjoy football, and we are thrilled to continue that tradition,” said NBC executive producer Fred Gaudelli, who served as the lead producer for Madden’s final seven seasons in the broadcast booth.
Added NFL executive vice president of media distribution Hans Schroeder: “The Madden game franchise has had an indelible impact on generations of football fans and gamers alike, and we look forward to honoring that legacy with this unique broadcast of a crucial matchup with postseason implications.”
NBCUniversal isn’t the only NFL TV partner leaning hard into alternative telecasts as a way to attract new fans and give viewers more options.
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Disney’s ESPN, the king of alt-casts, which boasts the popular “ManningCast” with Eli and Peyton Manning, will roll out a new The Simpsons Funday Football stream of Cowboys vs. Bengals on Disney+ and ESPN+ on Dec. 9. (On Christmas Day, ESPN will also roll out a “Dunk the Halls” version of the NBA’s Knicks and Spurs featuring Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters.) At our live “Tuned In” event, Burke Magnus, ESPN’s president of content, said the ManningCast will “for sure” be part of the network’s first-ever telecast of a Super Bowl on Feb. 14, 2027.
Meanwhile, CBS Sports and Nickelodeon will again team up for a “KidsCast” of an NFL Wild Card game during Wild Card Weekend from Jan. 11–13. Nate Burleson will lead coverage of the slime-filled telecast.
That’s not even counting the special NFL telecasts by NBC/Walmart and Amazon Prime Video on Thanksgiving Night and Black Friday that will combine football with “shoppable ads” during the game action. NFL media czar Brian Rolapp has given the green light for networks and giant streamers to experiment with new formats. Their attitude now seems to be: Everybody in the pool.
