Tag Archives: American football

A TV show about EA Sports’ Madden games hits Prime Video on November 26

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Madden NFL has been around for almost 40 years (really) so it’s high time the gaming franchise got the documentary treatment. Prime Video has got you covered. The platform just announced that It’s in the Game: Madden NFL will stream on November 26, which is just ahead of Thanksgiving.

The four-part docuseries will explore “one of the biggest video games of all time” that “became a worldwide phenomenon, spanning generations.” The show will explore Madden’s “archaic 8-bit origins to its success as an annual must have.” Prime Video says EA Sports has given it access to the vaults, so there should be plenty of new footage for diehard fans.

As the story goes, EA founder Trip Hawkins approached commentator John Madden back in 1984 for his endorsement and expertise, but the game took four long years of development before coming out in 1988. This extended development time was allegedly due to Madden himself, who demanded a realistic football experience. I’m sure the documentary will get into all of that.

Formerly known as John Madden Football, the franchise became an annual event in 1990 and changed its name to Madden NFL in 1993. These games have sold over 130 million copies worldwide since 1988. The latest iteration, Madden NFL 25, released back in August to fairly middling reviews.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/a-tv-show-about-ea-sports-madden-games-hits-prime-video-on-november-26-194833398.html?src=rss

The Simpsons will join Monday Night Football on ESPN+ and Disney+

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The town of Springfield will host a National Football League game in December at Atoms Stadium, but neither the Springfield Atoms nor the Shelbyville Sharks will take the field.

Instead, the Bengals-Cowboys game on December 9 will be transformed into the world of TV’s longest running sitcom The Simpsons for a special Funday Football edition of Monday Night Football. The special Simpsons-ized broadcast will air on the ESPN+ and Disney+ streaming services and the NFL+ mobile app. The game will broadcast in its regular form on ESPN, ESPN+, ABC, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.

The game will implement tracking technology to turn the players on the field and ESPN commentators Mina Kimes, Dan Orlovsky and Drew Carter into Simpsons characters. Kimes, Orlovsky and Carter will wear Meta Quest Pro headsets to see their virtual environments. The quarterbacks will be transformed into Bart for the Cincinnati Bengals and Homer for the Dallas Cowboys using Sony’s Beyond Sports AI data analyzer and Hawk-Eye Innovations sports tracking and broadcast technology, according to a Disney press release.

The game will also feature more characters and pre-animated scenes from the show’s original cast including Hank Azaria, Nancy Cartwright, Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner and Yeardley Smith along with some surprise sports cameos. Characters like Lisa, Krusty the Clown, Carl, Lenny, Moe and Milhouse will be on the sidelines rooting for their respective teams. The announcement doesn’t mention Harry Shearer, so don’t expect Mr. Burns or Smithers to be at the game.

This isn’t the first time that ESPN has turned a regular season NFL game into an animated spectacle. Last year, Disney, ESPN and the NFL teamed up to turn an October game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Jacksonville Jaguars into a Toy Story themed game that transformed London’s Wembley Stadium into Andy’s room. The kids’ cable network Nickelodeon has also aired a few NFL games for its NFL Slimetime broadcasts featuring live commentary from animated characters like SpongeBob voiced by Tom Kenny and Patrick Star voiced by Bill Fagerbakke and computerized slime spewing in the end zones after touchdowns.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/the-simpsons-will-join-monday-night-football-on-espn-and-disney-202238589.html?src=rss

EA Sports’ dormant College Football will reemerge, cicada-like, on July 19

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It's been a long time coming but we finally know when College Football 25, EA Sports' revival of the long-dormant football sim series, will hit consoles. The game will land on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on July 19, living up to EA's promise that it would arrive sometime this summer.

Michigan running back Donovan Edwards, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and Colorado wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter are the cover stars. College Football 25 will include thousands of current athletes and feature 134 schools in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

More details about the game will be revealed in the coming weeks. However, like its NFL-centric sibling Madden, College Football 25 will include EA's money-vacuuming Ultimate Team mode. Ultimate Team, which has long been a staple of the EA Sports FC (formerly FIFA) and NHL games too, sees players earn or buy packs of random players to add to their custom roster.

Pre-orders for College Football 25 are now open. EA is selling an MVP bundle of College Football 25 and Madden NFL 25 that includes the deluxe edition of each game and three days of early access to each. 

As it happens, the release date for Madden NFL 25 was also revealed on Thursday, albeit through pre-order product listings. It will hit PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on August 16, less than a month after College Football 25.

The College Football series had been dormant for over a decade following legal issues over the use of student athletes' likenesses, allegedly without consent. When EA announced a revival of the franchise in 2021, it noted that College Football would not feature real athletes. However, things have changed since then due to the NCAA at long last allowing student athletes to make money from their name, image and likeness (NIL).

Players had the choice of whether to opt in to College Football 25, and as of March, more than 10,000 had reportedly agreed to be included. Most received an NIL check of $600, according to CBS Sports. Higher-profile names, presumably including the cover athletes, were said to have landed better-paying deals.

Update 5/16 2PM ET: Added the Madden NFL 25 release date.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ea-sports-dormant-college-football-will-reemerge-cicada-like-on-july-19-175136953.html?src=rss

EA Sports’ dormant College Football will reemerge, cicada-like, on July 19

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It's been a long time coming but we finally know when College Football 25, EA Sports' revival of the long-dormant football sim series, will hit consoles. The game will land on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on July 19, living up to EA's promise that it would arrive sometime this summer.

Michigan running back Donovan Edwards, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and Colorado wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter are the cover stars. College Football 25 will include thousands of current athletes and feature 134 schools in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

More details about the game will be revealed in the coming weeks. However, like its NFL-centric sibling Madden, College Football 25 will include EA's money-vacuuming Ultimate Team mode. Ultimate Team, which has long been a staple of the EA Sports FC (formerly FIFA) and NHL games too, sees players earn or buy packs of random players to add to their custom roster.

Pre-orders for College Football 25 are now open. EA is selling an MVP bundle of College Football 25 and Madden NFL 25 that includes the deluxe edition of each game and three days of early access to each. 

As it happens, the release date for Madden NFL 25 was also revealed on Thursday, albeit through pre-order product listings. It will hit PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on August 16, less than a month after College Football 25.

The College Football series had been dormant for over a decade following legal issues over the use of student athletes' likenesses, allegedly without consent. When EA announced a revival of the franchise in 2021, it noted that College Football would not feature real athletes. However, things have changed since then due to the NCAA at long last allowing student athletes to make money from their name, image and likeness (NIL).

Players had the choice of whether to opt in to College Football 25, and as of March, more than 10,000 had reportedly agreed to be included. Most received an NIL check of $600, according to CBS Sports. Higher-profile names, presumably including the cover athletes, were said to have landed better-paying deals.

Update 5/16 2PM ET: Added the Madden NFL 25 release date.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ea-sports-dormant-college-football-will-reemerge-cicada-like-on-july-19-175136953.html?src=rss

Netflix will stream its first NFL games on Christmas Day

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After dipping its toes into live sports with golf and tennis exhibitions, Netflix is taking a major step forward on that front. The company has locked in a deal with the NFL to air a Christmas Day doubleheader, marking the first time that it will broadcast games from the league. Netflix will stream at least one holiday game in 2025 and 2026 as well. These games won't be blacked out in competing teams' home markets.

Reports last week suggested Netflix was in play for Christmas Day NFL games, and that was seemingly why the league postponed the reveal of its 2024 schedule until today (when Netflix is trying to win over advertisers at its upfront presentation). To that end, it's not yet clear which NFL teams will be the first to square off live on Netflix around the world, though we'll find out when the league releases the schedule at 8PM ET.

Of course, Netflix isn't the first streaming service to broadcast NFL games. Prime Video has been showing them for years, while YouTube is the home of NFL Sunday Ticket.

It's not Netflix's first foray into the NFL as a whole, either. Last year, it debuted Quarterback, a hit unscripted series that followed Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins, and Marcus Mariota during the 2022 season. A self-explanatory follow-up show called Receiver will arrive this summer.

Before we get to Christmas Day and Netflix's first NFL games, the company will stream a boxing card featuring Mike Tyson vs. Logan Paul, which is somehow now an official professional fight. The holiday NFL games will also act as something of a warmup for Netflix as the company will start streaming live WWE programming every week in January.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflix-will-stream-its-first-nfl-games-on-christmas-day-163407396.html?src=rss

Netflix will stream its first NFL games on Christmas Day

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After dipping its toes into live sports with golf and tennis exhibitions, Netflix is taking a major step forward on that front. The company has locked in a deal with the NFL to air a Christmas Day doubleheader, marking the first time that it will broadcast games from the league. Netflix will stream at least one holiday game in 2025 and 2026 as well. These games won't be blacked out in competing teams' home markets.

Reports last week suggested Netflix was in play for Christmas Day NFL games, and that was seemingly why the league postponed the reveal of its 2024 schedule until today (when Netflix is trying to win over advertisers at its upfront presentation). To that end, it's not yet clear which NFL teams will be the first to square off live on Netflix around the world, though we'll find out when the league releases the schedule at 8PM ET.

Of course, Netflix isn't the first streaming service to broadcast NFL games. Prime Video has been showing them for years, while YouTube is the home of NFL Sunday Ticket.

It's not Netflix's first foray into the NFL as a whole, either. Last year, it debuted Quarterback, a hit unscripted series that followed Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins, and Marcus Mariota during the 2022 season. A self-explanatory follow-up show called Receiver will arrive this summer.

Before we get to Christmas Day and Netflix's first NFL games, the company will stream a boxing card featuring Mike Tyson vs. Logan Paul, which is somehow now an official professional fight. The holiday NFL games will also act as something of a warmup for Netflix as the company will start streaming live WWE programming every week in January.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflix-will-stream-its-first-nfl-games-on-christmas-day-163407396.html?src=rss

How to watch Super Bowl 2024

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Las Vegas will host Super Bowl 58 in its new billion-dollar, sustainably powered Allegiant Stadium. The venue holds 70,000 people, but if you’re not one of them and American football is your thing (or you just like the buzzy commercials and want to see Usher perform at halftime) you’ll need a way to watch at home. Luckily, there are a multitude of ways to do so — and one of them is nearly free. Kick off happens Sunday, February 11, at 3:30pm Pacific (6:30pm Eastern) so you have some more time to decide how you want to watch the big game. Here are all the ways to watch Super Bowl 2024.

How to watch Super Bowl 58

This year, the rights to air the biggest annual sporting event in the US goes to CBS… and Nickelodeon. Yep, the kids channel is hosting a live, family-friendly version of the event, complete with helpful thematic graphics and the cast of SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer hosting, providing commentary and explaining the rules to the youngest NFL fans. If you don’t need sideline reports from Sandy Cheeks, regular versions of the game will appear on CBS, CBS Sports Network, Paramount+ and on the NFL+ mobile app.

How to watch the Super Bowl with cable or satellite TV

Cable and satellite subscribers can tune into their local CBS station. If your plan includes CBS Sports Network (or Nickelodeon), you can go that route, too. Here’s a list of local CBS stations and affiliates so you can find your channel.

How to stream Super Bowl 2024

Last year, the Super Bowl was a little more complicated to stream since the broadcaster (Fox) didn’t have an over-the-top streaming app. It’s easier this year: the standalone Paramount+ app lets subscribers watch the game live. Plans start at $6 per month and there’s currently a free seven-day trial, but there’s no telling if that deal will still be live right before the big event. Of course, most live TV streaming services will also have the game, either on your local CBS station or via CBSSN. Here are the providers that will show Super Bowl LVIII:

If you’re willing to pay, Paramount+ is the cheapest way to stream the Super Bowl this year, plus you’ll get other shows to watch when the game’s over.

Can I watch the 2024 Super Bowl for free?

Almost. If you buy an indoor digital antenna, which hooks up to the coaxial port on your TV set, you can grab the game broadcast from your local CBS affiliate at no extra cost. It’ll let you watch your local NBC, ABC, PBS and FOX networks, too.

Can I watch the 2024 Super Bowl on mobile?

The NFL+ mobile app is airing the Super Bowl, but only on your smartphone or tablet (PC access and casting isn’t supported for primetime games, which includes the Super Bowl). So if you’re watching solo, this could be a good option. A subscription goes for $7 per month and it also provides NFL Network content with 24/7 football news.

Who is performing at the Super Bowl 2024 halftime show?

For some, the action in between the two halves of the game is what really matters. Mega stars have headlined the halftime show for decades now, with performances by Rihanna, Shakira, Lady Gaga, Prince, The Rolling Stones and Beyonce garnering almost as many headlines as the game itself. This year, Usher, who's timing the release of his latest album to drop just two days before the game, will light up the stadium with a set. Before the game, Reba McEntire will sing the national anthem and Post Malone will follow that up with a rendition of "America the Beautiful."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-watch-super-bowl-2024-how-to-stream-super-bowl-133039040.html?src=rss

How to watch Super Bowl 2024

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We finally know for certain who will face off in Super Bowl 2024: The Kansas City Chiefs will play against the San Francisco 49ers in the biggest annual sporting event in the US. The game will take place in Las Vegas at the $1.9 billion Allegiant Stadium, with kick off at 3:30pm Pacific or 6:30pm Eastern on Sunday, February 11. The game will air on CBS, which means it’ll also be streaming live on Paramount+ since both are owned by Paramount Global. You can also watch it on cable, with a live TV streaming service and with the NFL's app on mobile. That’s all to say that you have plenty of options to watch, stream and otherwise enjoy the big game this year. Here are all the ways to watch Super Bowl LVIII in 2024.

How to watch Super Bowl 58

This year, the rights to air the biggest annual sporting event in the US goes to CBS… and Nickelodeon. Yep, the kids channel is hosting a live, family-friendly version of the event, complete with helpful thematic graphics and the cast of SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer hosting, providing commentary and explaining the rules to the youngest NFL fans. If you don’t need sideline reports from Sandy Cheeks, regular versions of the game will appear on CBS, CBS Sports Network, Paramount+ and on the NFL+ mobile app.

How to watch the Super Bowl with cable or satellite TV

Cable and satellite subscribers can tune into their local CBS station. If your plan includes CBS Sports Network (or Nickelodeon), you can go that route, too. Here’s a list of local CBS stations and affiliates so you can find your channel.

How to stream Super Bowl 2024

Last year, the Super Bowl was a little more complicated to stream since the broadcaster (Fox) didn’t have an over-the-top streaming app. It’s easier this year: the standalone Paramount+ app lets subscribers watch the game live. Plans start at $6 per month and there’s currently a free seven-day trial, but there’s no telling if that deal will still be live right before the big event. Of course, most live TV streaming services will also have the game, either on your local CBS station or via CBSSN. Here are the providers that will show Super Bowl LVIII:

If you’re willing to pay, Paramount+ is the cheapest way to stream the Super Bowl this year, plus you’ll get other shows to watch when the game’s over.

Can I watch the 2024 Super Bowl for free?

Almost. If you buy an indoor digital antenna, which hooks up to the coaxial port on your TV set, you can grab the game broadcast from your local CBS affiliate at no extra cost. It’ll let you watch your local NBC, ABC, PBS and FOX networks, too.

Can I watch the 2024 Super Bowl on mobile?

The NFL+ mobile app is airing the Super Bowl, but only on your smartphone or tablet (PC access and casting isn’t supported for primetime games, which includes the Super Bowl). So if you’re watching solo, this could be a good option. A subscription goes for $7 per month and it also provides NFL Network content with 24/7 football news.

Who is performing at the Super Bowl 2024 halftime show?

For some, the action in between the two halves of the game is what really matters. Mega stars have headlined the halftime show for decades now, with performances by Rihanna, Shakira, Lady Gaga, Prince, The Rolling Stones and Beyonce garnering almost as many headlines as the game itself. This year, Usher, who's timing the release of his latest album to drop just two days before the game, will light up the stadium with a set. Before the game, Reba McEntire will sing the national anthem and Post Malone will follow that up with a rendition of "America the Beautiful."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-watch-super-bowl-2024-133039872.html?src=rss

Peacock’s NFL wild card game broke streaming records

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There are few things as American as watching football on a Sunday. If anyone needs further proof, NFL and Peacock have it: The January 14 Peacock Exclusive AFC Wild Card has set a new record for the United States' most streamed live event in history. According to a joint release from NBC-owned Peacock and Comcast, the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins game — the first playoff ever exclusively live-streamed — reached 27.6 million viewers.

Peacock also claims that the livestream is to thank for the most internet usage in a single day across the US, taking up 30 percent of internet traffic. However, the current data is courtesy of Nielsen's custom fast national live and same-day data, with official numbers coming out on Friday, January 19.

While the livestream was a good alternative to shivering in person during the fourth coldest NFL game in history, not everyone was happy about it. New York congressman Pat Ryan was among those who expressed their outrage over having to pay for another streaming service in order to watch a game that typically airs on cable. "How much more profit do [NFL commissioner Roger] Goodell and NBC need to make at the expense of hard working Americans?" Ryan wrote in a letter. "Congress granted the NFL an antitrust exemption in its broadcast deals with the expectation that you wouldn't use it to screw over fans. That was clearly a mistake."

The game was available to Miami and Kansas City viewers on local NBC affiliates. Anyone else interested in watching had to sign up for a Peacock subscription, starting at $6 per month. Peacock's plan to stream the wild card game was first announced last May, with NBC reportedly paying $110 million for the rights to it.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/peacocks-nfl-wild-card-game-broke-streaming-records-103503762.html?src=rss

Peacock’s NFL wild card game broke streaming records

Posted on by

There are few things as American as watching football on a Sunday. If anyone needs further proof, NFL and Peacock have it: The January 14 Peacock Exclusive AFC Wild Card has set a new record for the United States' most streamed live event in history. According to a joint release from NBC-owned Peacock and Comcast, the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins game — the first playoff ever exclusively live-streamed — reached 27.6 million viewers.

Peacock also claims that the livestream is to thank for the most internet usage in a single day across the US, taking up 30 percent of internet traffic. However, the current data is courtesy of Nielsen's custom fast national live and same-day data, with official numbers coming out on Friday, January 19.

While the livestream was a good alternative to shivering in person during the fourth coldest NFL game in history, not everyone was happy about it. New York congressman Pat Ryan was among those who expressed their outrage over having to pay for another streaming service in order to watch a game that typically airs on cable. "How much more profit do [NFL commissioner Roger] Goodell and NBC need to make at the expense of hard working Americans?" Ryan wrote in a letter. "Congress granted the NFL an antitrust exemption in its broadcast deals with the expectation that you wouldn't use it to screw over fans. That was clearly a mistake."

The game was available to Miami and Kansas City viewers on local NBC affiliates. Anyone else interested in watching had to sign up for a Peacock subscription, starting at $6 per month. Peacock's plan to stream the wild card game was first announced last May, with NBC reportedly paying $110 million for the rights to it.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/peacocks-nfl-wild-card-game-broke-streaming-records-103503762.html?src=rss