EA, NFL Announce First-Ever Ultimate Madden Bowl Halftime Show

In anticipation of the Ultimate Madden Bowl Final Tuesday night, EA and NFL have announced the first-ever Madden Esports halftime show, which will feature performances by Moneybagg Yo and Blocboy JB.

It appears EA and the NFL are indeed going all out to "showcase the entertainment power of esports" and make the Madden NFL 22 Championship Series Final the biggest Madden NFL esports event in franchise history with record distribution live-airing platforms, a pair of Ultimate Madden Bowl ESPN Special TV broadcasts and now an exclusive NFL Twitter broadcast halftime show.

EA, NFL Announce First-Ever Ultimate Madden Bowl Halftime Show

"I’ve played Madden all my life and have always been a fan of their legendary soundtracks," Moneybagg Yo said in a press release. "Now, to have the opportunity to perform in the first-ever Ultimate Madden Bowl Halftime Show is a full-circle moment for me, and I’m grateful for the platform."

The Ultimate Madden Bowl Final is set to take place tonight at 7 p.m. ET.

Live from the Madden NFL Championship Series "state-of-the-art" virtual set, tonight's Ultimate Madden Bowl Final pits the No. 7-ranked Wesley vs. the No. 1-ranked Henry with a $1 million prize purse majority share on the line.

The event will be streamed on the EA Madden NFL Twitch channel, the Madden Competitive Gaming YouTube channel, the NFL YouTube channel, Watch ESPN, and the ESPN App. Additionally, in a first-of-its-kind partnership, anyone can listen live on the iHeartRadio App's EA SPORTS Madden NFL channel for free.

"Competition and entertainment are at the root of EA’s long-term belief in the power of esports," said Anthony Stevenson, Senior Vice President of Strategic Growth Brand for Electronic Arts. “It’s amazing to celebrate our Madden NFL Championship Series finale with such incredible partners, talent, and distribution."

For the first time, Los Angeles Chargers’ Derwin James Jr., Baltimore Ravens’ Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and ESPN NFL analyst Marcus Spears will headline a special exclusive broadcast on the NFL Twitter account, as well as the NFL Channel available on VIZIO WatchFree+, Tubi+, Peacock and Pluto TV.

Following the Feb. 8 broadcasts, EA Sports and ESPN will kick off Super Bowl LVI weekend with the Ultimate Madden Bowl ESPN Special, a presentation of the esports final. ESPN will air the broadcast on Friday, Feb. 11, at 8:30 p.m. ET, which marks the Madden NFL Championship Series debut on the channel. The program will re-air once again on Sunday, Feb. 13, at 9 a.m. ET.

"The Ultimate Madden Bowl athlete broadcast provides a first-ever opportunity to bring a Madden NFL esports storyline to the NFL fan in a way told by some of their favorite NFL players and Legends," said Joe Ruggiero, Senior Vice President of Consumer Products at the NFL. "Working with EA provides the opportunity to connect with the next generation of fans who have consistently shown a desire to engage in interactive, digital experiences. Tonight’s Ultimate Madden Bowl cast is the perfect example of an authentic way we are customizing esports content with the NFL fan in mind."