At the intersection of sports, culture and entertainment stands the historic and unforgettable experience that is EA SPORTS™ Presents Madden Bowl. The Madden Bowl serves as the heart of celebration and fandom around Super Bowl weekend. One filled to the brim with world-class entertainment, passionate competition and unparalleled sports action.
And centerpiece to the entertainment is an incredible line-up of music. Music critically influences the experience of a video game, even affecting player behavior. We also understand that when players are having fun together, they play longer and more actively, which is why events like Madden Bowl are so important as they celebrate and elevate a key ingredient to our gaming experiences.
Headlined by 10x GRAMMY winner Chris Stapleton and 4x GRAMMY Nominee Jelly Roll, with a one-of-a-kind set by 6x GRAMMY nominee and Billboard Hot 100 sensation Shaboozey, the event will also introduce one of the biggest rising stars in country radio, Tucker Wetmore. It will also feature Trombone Shorty and the New Breed Brass Band, a dynamic and influential group known for their fusion of New Orleans jazz, funk, rock, and soul.
Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music and Marketing, and John Reseburg, VP, EA SPORTS™ Marketing, Partnerships and Communications, sat down to talk with us about what the event means for the intersection of music, sports, and shared fandom.
"Music is a driving factor in all of these global cultural moments," says Steve. "Madden isn’t just about football. FC isn’t just about soccer. And NHL isn’t just about hockey. And the Madden Bowl shows the power of our games as a place of musical discovery. It’s a cultural touchstone that transcends the game itself."
This is because, for years, EA SPORTS™ titles such as Madden have become home to both new and emerging acts and established artists. In fact, artists highly seek to be part of the soundtracks for these games, and fans use them as a place to discover new music.
"What we don’t want to do is sound like what American Football used to sound like,” says Steve. “Our responsibility is to be what football will sound like."
The Madden Bowl is an event that showcases the power of this philosophy. One that captures and presents on a world-class stage the careful crafting of Madden’s soundtracks and the beloved music fans of all ages and walks of life can connect with. It’s a celebration and a place of discovery. And when all is said and done, Steve and John expect people to walk away from the best event of the weekend.
“The work we do each year creating and curating the soundtracks for our games, it absolutely is an exercise in looking at how you balance the ever-evolving taste of music,” says John. “And how are you accounting for all of the different audiences that ultimately will experience that? The people in the stands, to the athletes themselves. What it leads to is a diversity of different genres and styles, and an unbelievable event that is going to take the weekend by storm.”
"Every year, we try to go bigger," adds Steve. "What you see this year is miles ahead of last year, and last year was phenomenal."
With major names like Jelly Roll, whose country crossovers have been gaining massive traction, and rising stars like Shaboozey, Madden Bowl is a true intersection of sports, culture, and entertainment. A cultural moment that highlights our growing and expanding community in, around, and beyond the already iconic Madden franchise, which goes hand-in-hand with EA SPORTS’ mission to deliver more entertainment, connection, and unrivaled sports action each and every year for players and fans.
“Madden Bowl is one of those iconic moments that the sports world knows and they know it represents the greatness that is EA SPORTS,” says John. “It’s what we do.”
And Steve sees this as another step forward for the Madden Bowl’s of the future.
“I don’t believe in anything cut and paste. I believe you do, learn, change, grow and make it better. I also believe you go big or you stay home,” says Steve. “It’s our responsibility. So just like when I work on Madden or FC or any single game, the day after, I learn, and next year we’ve got to be twice as good.”
EA SPORTS™ Presents Madden Bowl will once again crown the Madden NFL Championship Series (MCS) champion, as the top Madden NFL 25 players face off for their share of $1 million USD in total prizing. Celebrating a decade of MCS excellence, the finale airs live from New Orleans on Feb. 7 at 6 PM CT on the official Twitch and YouTube channel.
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