NBC Sports is the latest NFL “alt cast” to test with the EA Sports Madden game

Can NBC make an NFL broadcast as dynamic and interactive as a video game? The Comcast-backed media company will try it soon.

NBC Sports plans to live stream a match between the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs on its Peacock broadband hub on Saturday, December 21, which will feature live action and video game elements from EA Sports’ popular Madden NFL franchise will unite, which has long been sought for realistic representations of the football action. The “Alt Cast,” like the video game, will also include player ratings and interactive data.

“This first-ever Madden NFL cast marks a new milestone as Peacock’s first replacement cast in sports,” said Fred Gaudelli, NFL executive producer for NBC Sports. Gaudelli worked with John Madden, the inspiration behind the game, for seven seasons. and a legendary coach and analyst, during his stints at ABC and NBC.

NBC will join the ranks of sports media outlets crafting customized simulcasts of games that they hope will attract a wider audience to their screens. NBC, like ESPN and CBS Sports, which have also experimented with “alt-casts,” is aware of the enormous rights fees it pays for NFL broadcasts and sees potential value in expanding the content associated with them. NBC is betting on sports to fuel its future as its parent company Comcast plans to spin off most of its cable networks while investing heavily in rights for the Olympics and a new installment of NBA games. The company has worked to bring more exclusive sporting events to Peacock, and has noted in the recent past that the games help drive subscriptions and can be used to provide entertainment to viewers.

Paramount Global offered a separate broadcast of Super Bowl LVIII on kid-focused network Nickelodeon earlier this year, complete with its own sports anchors, some separate TV commercials and the network’s signature green slime. ESPN, meanwhile, is tapping The Simpsons and its parent company Disney’s signature characters to broadcast a “Monday Night Football” simulcast and an animated version of an NBA game on Christmas Day.

Testing has only increased in recent years, especially as sports leagues put pressure on their media partners to increase viewership. ESPN aired a broadcast of an NHL match that featured animated characters from the Big City Greens, and in 2021 tested a game with Marvel characters that kids could play while watching an NBA contest between the Golden State Warriors and the New Orleans Pelicans. An animated version of a Sunday morning game between the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars broadcast from Wembley Stadium in London last year used “Toy Story” characters such as Woody, Buzz, Bo Peep, Bullseye and Slinky Dog.

The Peacock live stream is accompanied by its own dedicated team of analysts. NBC Sports’ Paul Burmeister will handle gameplay, while former NFL quarterback and Madden NFL expert Kurt Benkert will use graphical overlays to predict play options. Former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco will serve as a real-time player “ratings adjuster.” Henry Leverette, a Madden NFL championship player, will also participate in the production.

“We are constantly looking for exciting and innovative ways to present our game, and we are incredibly excited about the opportunity to bring together the Madden game, our Next Gen Stats platform and NBC Sports’ incredible production to create a completely “To create a new way to experience an NFL game on Peacock,” Hans Schroeder, NFL executive vice president of media sales, said in a statement. “The Madden series of games has had an indelible impact on generations of soccer fans and gamers alike, and we look forward to honoring that legacy with this unique broadcast of a pivotal game with postseason implications.”

The Texans-Chiefs game will be presented in the traditional manner on NBA, Peacock and Universo. The execution of the Madden NFL broadcast depends on the weather, as visibility is required to create the simulation planned for Peacock.