EA SPORTS and NFL PLAYERS Present Madden Bowl XVII – Broadcast live on ESPN3.com

For the first time in the history of Madden Bowl, there will be a partnership with ESPN to broadcast the event live on ESPN3.com.  Madden Bowl XVII, hosted by EA SPORTS and NFL PLAYERS, is the quintessential players' tournament that showcases NFL superstars and their gaming skills on the virtual gridiron as they face off on Madden NFL 11.

Kicking off Super Bowl week, the event will take place on Thursday, February 3^rd at the Glass Cactus in Grapevine, Texas and will air live at 9:00 pm EST on ESPN3.com.  The broadcast will include celebrity red carpet interviews, live action of the Madden Bowl tournament and a Madden NFL franchise retrospective. Madden Bowl XVII will also feature performances by 2010 GRAMMY® nominees, Big Boi and Cee Lo Green.

"Madden Bowl is one of the most anticipated events to kick off Super Bowl week and we're always looking for new ways to make it bigger and better," said Anthony Stevenson, Senior Product Manager for EA SPORTS. "Through our partnership with ESPN, we're excited to bring the intensity and drama of Madden Bowl into the living rooms of millions of fans as their favorite NFL players battle for the title of Madden Bowl Champion."

This year, Madden Bowl will feature an all-new format with players from three NFL teams, and an All-Madden squad made up of past Madden Bowl participants, competing in Madden NFL 11 on PlayStation®3 using the all-new Online Team Play mode. Teams and players competing in Madden Bowl XVII include:

• New Orleans Saints: Represented by Madden NFL 11 cover athlete Drew Brees, running back Reggie Bush and quarterback Chase Daniel
• Jacksonville Jaguars: Led by reigning Madden Bowl champion Maurice Jones-Drew, linebacker Kirk Morrison and tight end Marcedes Lewis
• Dallas Cowboys: The hometown team will consist of wide receiver Miles Austin, tight end Jason Witten and linebacker DeMarcus Ware
• All-Madden Team: Consisting of last year's runner-up, 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis, and former Madden Bowl champions, Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney, and Ravens running back Willis McGahee

Using Online Team Play mode, teams will compete 3-on-3 and each team member will control a set of skill players, including QB, RBs, and WRs on offense, and D-line, LBs, and CBs on defense.

Musical entertainment has long been synonymous with the Super Bowl. This year, music, football, and gaming will converge at Madden Bowl XVII, with co-headline performances by hip-hop superstars Big Boi and Cee Lo Green and legendary hip-hop entertainer, Biz Markie, closing out the evening as the event's guest DJ.

Madden Bowl XVII will be hosted by Access Hollywood correspondent Maria Menounos and ESPN's Trey Wingo. The ESPN3.com broadcast of Madden Bowl XVII will be hosted by Christian Fauria and Cassidy Hubbarth.

Other NFL superstars attending Madden Bowl XVII this year include: Michael Vick (QB, Eagles), Jeremy Maclin (WR, Eagles), Reggie Wayne (WR, Colts), Larry Fitzgerald (WR, Cardinals), Chad Ochocinco (WR, Bengals), Ndamukong Suh (DT, Lions), Josh Freeman (QB, Buccaneers), Brandon Lloyd (WR, Broncos) and Rob Gronkowski (TE, Patriots), among others.

Additional Madden Bowl XVII sponsors include Verizon, Coke Zero, Coors Light, Virgin Gaming, Sony PlayStation® and Sledgehammer.

Previous EA SPORTS Madden Bowl champions include:

• 1995 - Reggie Brooks, Washington Redskins
• 1996 - Reggie Brooks, Washington Redskins
• 1997 - Jimmy Spencer, Cincinnati Bengals
• 1998 - Morris Chestnut, Actor
• 1999 - Ray Mickens, New York Jets
• 2000 - Terry Jackson, San Francisco 49ers
• 2001 - Jacquez Green, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• 2002 - Jacquez Green, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• 2003 - Dwight Freeney, Indianapois Colts
• 2004 - Dwight Freeney, Indianapois Colts
• 2005 - Michael Lewis, Philadelphia Eagles
• 2006 - Alex Smith, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• 2007 - Alex Smith, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• 2008 - Willis McGahee, Baltimore Ravens
• 2009 - Antonio Bryant, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• 2010 - Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars

Visit ESPN3.com for the live broadcast of Madden Bowl XVII on Thursday, February 3^rd at 9:00 pm EST: http://espn.go.com/espn3/index?id=134608