"EA SPORTSTM MADDEN NFL CAST" GOES PRIMETIME FOR BENGALS-RAVENS THANKSGIVING MATCHUP, STREAMING LIVE EXCLUSIVELY ON PEACOCK, THURSDAY, NOV. 27 AT 8 P.M. ET

EA SPORTS Madden NFL Cast Reimagines Live Football with Immersive, Data-Driven Alternate Broadcast Blending Video Game and Live Action for a Unique Viewing Experience, Streaming Exclusively on Peacock

New for This Year's EA SPORTS Madden NFL Cast: Main Coverage Angle from Hi-Sky Camera; Three-Time All-Pro Safety Tyrann Mathieu Joins Paul Burmeister and Kurt Benkert in Studio; "Ratings Adjuster" Chad Johnson and Reporter Kay Adams Cover the Game On-Site

"Madden NFL Cast" Complements Traditional Coverage of Bengals-Ravens Thanksgiving Night Game at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 27 on NBC and Peacock

STAMFORD, Conn. - November 16, 2025 - NBC Sports and Peacock will collaborate for a second consecutive year with the National Football League, EA SPORTS, and Genius Sports to present the EA SPORTS Madden NFL Cast. This season's edition moves to primetime on Thanksgiving, exclusively streaming on Peacock, as the Baltimore Ravens host the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium (Thursday, Nov. 27 at 8 p.m. ET). The Bengals and Ravens have combined to win the past four AFC North titles and meet in the nightcap of the NFL's "John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration" tripleheader.

The 2025 Madden NFL Cast was announced tonight on NBC and Peacock at halftime of the Detroit Lions-Philadelphia Eagles Sunday Night Football game. Last year's inaugural Madden NFL Cast complemented the Houston Texans-Kansas City Chiefs afternoon matchup on Sat., Dec. 21.

Blending video game elements and live action, the stream will be an immersive, data-powered live football experience that injects Madden NFL's unique brand elements as animated overlays. Featuring live EA SPORTS Madden NFL 26 graphics, route trees, play cards and player ratings, the Madden NFL Cast will transform football strategy, information and IQ for viewers, enabled by the NFL's Next Gen Stats and GeniusIQ, Genius Sports' next generation data and AI platform. GeniusIQ combines real-time data insights with fully branded animations, delivering an immersive viewing experience.

New to this year's Madden NFL Cast: The main coverage angle will predominantly come from the hi-sky camera located behind the quarterback - the view most familiar to Madden gamers - rather than from television's traditional sideline camera location.

The live stream, available exclusively on Peacock, will feature a dedicated commentary team. Three-time All-Pro defensive back Tyrann Mathieu joins this year's team, alongside returning Madden NFL Cast veterans Paul Burmeister of NBC Sports, who will handle play-by-play, and former NFL quarterback, YouTuber and Madden NFL expert Kurt Benkert, who will utilize graphic overlays to discuss and predict play options. Mathieu, who was regularly among the highest Madden-rated players at his position, had 36 interceptions in 180 games over 12 NFL seasons, and played on the 2019 Kansas City Chiefs team which won Super Bowl LIV.

Six-time Cincinnati Bengals Pro Bowl wide receiver Chad Johnson - who frequently discussed his own Madden rating in production meetings with John Madden - returns to the Madden NFL Cast as "ratings adjuster," adjusting player ratings in real-time from on-site at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore alongside reporter Kay Adams.

"We are excited to once again work with the NFL, EA SPORTS, and Genius Sports to offer fans the ability to watch Madden NFL come to life, exclusively on Peacock. It's appropriate that this year's Madden NFL Cast presentation takes place on Thanksgiving, an NFL holiday tradition that meant so much to John and now carries his name," said NBC Sports' Executive Producer of NFL Fred Gaudelli, who was the lead producer for John Madden's final seven seasons in the broadcast booth (2002-05 at ABC, 2006-08 at NBC). "We look forward to showcasing the Madden NFL Cast in primetime as well as introducing some new features that viewers and gamers will enjoy."

"We are thrilled to partner again with NBC Sports, EA SPORTS and Genius Sports to present the Madden NFL Cast on Peacock following last year's successful debut," said Grace Senko, NFL Vice President, Media Strategy and Business Development. "We are always looking for exciting and innovative ways to present our game and reach new fans. John Madden was the ultimate teacher, and this production will honor his vast contributions to the game on a holiday he helped make synonymous with football."

"We're at a unique moment where the lines between traditional sports consumption and interactive entertainment continue to blur," said Evan Dexter, VP of Franchise Strategy and Marketing at EA SPORTS. "The EA SPORTS Madden NFL Cast represents our vision of growing the love of football by creating the most immersive, data-powered viewership experience possible using the unique elements of Madden that have been teaching generations of football gamers how to play, read, and understand the game. That was John Madden's vision and this partnership with NBC Sports, the NFL, and Genius Sports champions that mission and proves alternative broadcasts aren't just a trend, they're the future. We're proud to be leading innovation in this space on football's biggest stage."

"Powered by our GeniusIQ platform and NFL's Next Gen Stats, this year's Madden NFL Cast adds a new layer of innovation to a cherished holiday tradition," said Steve Bornstein, President, North America at Genius Sports. "Few moments capture America's love of football like the NFL on Thanksgiving, and together with NBC Sports and EA SPORTS, we're transforming this holiday institution into an immersive, gaming-inspired broadcast to captivate a new generation of fans."

The Madden NFL Cast will be produced by Steve Greenberg and directed by Tim Nelson. NBC Sports' award-winning coverage of Bengals at Ravens will also be presented on Thursday, Nov. 27 at 8 p.m. ET across NBC, Peacock, Telemundo, and Universo.

The National Football League continues to commemorate the late John Madden with the fourth annual John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration on Thursday, Nov. 27, with several elements across the three games on Thanksgiving Day. The John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration began in 2022 as a way to honor the late icon's indelible legacy.

Peacock will be the exclusive national home of an NFL Week 17 game in primetime, streaming live on Saturday, Dec. 27. The matchup for the Peacock Holiday Exclusive will be selected in the coming weeks from a pool of key NFL Week 17 Saturday games. The Madden NFL Cast on Thursday, Nov. 27 builds on a series of major sports streaming milestones for Peacock, including making history as the first streaming platform to deliver Sunday Night Football in Dolby Atmos immersive audio, bringing fans closer to the action with lifelike, stadium-quality sound. The momentum continues during NBCUniversal's "Legendary February," featuring the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, Super Bowl LX, and the NBA All-Star Game all streaming on Peacock.

Execution of the Madden NFL Cast is weather dependent given visibility required.

--NBC SPORTS -