The main event resulted in an epic virtual experience, with players and celebrities showcasing their Madden skills by facing off with the official Pro Bowl rosters in Madden NFL 21 to decide the outcome of this year’s game. Partnered with notable streamers, including Ninja, FaZe Swagg and AustinShow, to organize and promote engaging virtual watch parties on Twitch, to engage a gaming-obsessed audienceĬollaborated with the NFL to cross-promote all Pro Bowl announcements and the main event - including push notifications, NFL Network programming and more, while engaging 28 NFL teams to simultaneously livestream the event from their channels Leveraged top talent including Kyler Murray, Jamal Adams, Bubba Wallace, and Charissa Thompson to promote their role in the event via media interviews with Complex, The Ringer, Sports Illustrated and EXTRA, driving top-tier national media coverage and social conversation The team took a holistic approach to generate awareness for the event across channels and key audiences:Ĭreated engaging, original social content across EA platformsĪctivated larger media buys with key partners including ESPN and NFL Network to promote tune-in with a mass audienceĬonducted widespread press outreach across key media verticals including NFL/sports, sports business, entertainment/lifestyle, and gaming/tech to generate significant coverage for each beat and to drive tune-in for the event The multi-phased campaign included a narrative-setting announcement of EA SPORTS and NFL collaborating to transform the first major sporting event, the introduction of new ways for fans to dictate Pro Bowl roster additions through Video Game Numbers Challenge, which empowered fans to send their favorite players to the Pro Bowl by scoring touchdowns in Madden NFL, and leveraging the power of celebrity by unveiling top NFL athletes and entertainers representing the AFC and NFC, including Snoop Dogg and Marshawn Lynch. To build momentum over 3+ months, the team conceptualized an extended campaign to engage fans, influencers and media. Secure mass tune-in with support from top talent Generate mass awareness, while engaging digital natives onlineĭemonstrate how the collaboration is transforming sports consumptionĭrive appointment-setting through multiple channels and beats
The result: an all-virtual Pro Bowl played in Madden NFL 21, the first-ever major sporting event to go virtual, reigniting widespread interest in the Pro Bowl and turning the brand-new way to play into an entertaining and star-studded must-watch sports experience. When the NFL canceled its in-person Pro Bowl for the first time in more than 60 years, long-time partner EA SPORTS was quick to step in with a solution - transform the Pro Bowl into an all-virtual event, enabling the League to keep it on the NFL calendar while also engaging a new generation of NFL fans who live on social.