In this year’s edition of the Madden NFL Championship Series, millions in prize money is up for grabs across five events starting Aug. 20.
The NFL and Electronic Arts (EA) have announced a multi-year partnership renewal for the EA Sports Madden NFL Championship Series. The announcement comes off the heels of the MCS’ best season in history as the competition saw four times the amount of average minute audience year-over-year.
A total of $1.7 million of prize money will be awarded throughout the season.
The NFL and EA will collaborate in hopes of raising the stature of the video gamers by using storytelling to entertain both Madden fans and football fans. In order to reach as many fans as possible, the league plans to align the video game competition with the NFL season, with the conclusion coming during Super Bowl week.
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Campbell’s Chunky Soup will return as an MCS partner and receive virtual naming rights to a stadium within the game.
“As a trusted partner for more than 30 years, EA’s commitment to football authenticity with Madden NFL is exemplary,” said Ed Kiang, VP of Video Gaming at the NFL. “Extending our partnership with EA is another avenue for the League to grow fandom off the field and enhance the EA SPORTS Madden NFL Championship Series by aligning Madden competitive gaming with NFL moments. Our joint efforts will drive the type of excitement that NFL fans expect while also highlighting the best Madden players in the world.”
The competition will be split into five major tournaments with varying prize purses:
- Ultimate Kickoff ($180,000) starting Aug. 20
- Ultimate Thanksgiving ($260,000) from Sept. 22 to Nov. 22
- Ultimate Wild Card ($260,000) from Nov. 22 to Dec. 22
- Last Chance Qualifier ($0) in January 2023
- Ultimate Madden NFL 23 Bowl ($1,000,000) from Jan. 23 to Feb. 23
As Brent Koning, VP of EA Esports, said on the occasion:
“Madden NFL esports continues to deepen the love of the game with fans, players, and viewers. It’s teaching viewers how to improve at the game, while deepening engagement with Madden’s most loyal fanbase. Since the MCS started five years ago, it has helped showcase the game by elevating the greatest players in the world, while giving every single Madden NFL player the chance to go from couch to champion. We can’t wait to see how the MCS 23 season unfolds.”
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