EA SPORTS Madden NFL Cast to Return Thanksgiving Night With Immersive, Data-Driven Broadcast on Peacock

NBC Sports, EA SPORTS, NFL, and Genius Sports partner to blend live action and gaming visuals for Bengals-Ravens primetime matchup

NBC Sports is teaming again with the NFL, EA SPORTS, and Genius Sports to present the EA SPORTS Madden NFL Cast, a data-powered alternate broadcast that merges live football with video-game-style presentation. The special stream will air exclusively on Peacock when the Baltimore Ravens host the Cincinnati Bengals in primetime on Thanksgiving Night, Thursday, Nov. 27, at 8 p.m. ET.

NBC Sports will stream EA Sports Madden NFL Cast, an alternate game broadcast, on Peacock this Thanksgiving night. One of the big changes will be using the SkyCam as the primary game camera angle, creating a shot that resembles that of playing the video game. (Image: NBC Sports, EA SPORTS)

This marks the second year of the EA SPORTS Madden NFL Cast and its first appearance in a primetime slot. The alternate feed will complement NBC’s traditional broadcast of the same game, which takes place, fittingly, as part of the NFL’s annual John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration.

“We’re 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,” Fred Gaudelli, Executive Producer, NFL, NBC Sports said in the official release that came following the event’s public announcement during halftime of this weekend’s Sunday Football Football telecast on NBC. “It’s appropriate that this year’s presentation takes place on Thanksgiving, an NFL holiday tradition that meant so much to John.”

This year’s edition introduces a new main viewing angle from the high SkyCam located behind the quarterback, mirroring the perspective familiar to Madden gamers.

The Madden NFL Cast reimagines the live viewing experience by overlaying EA SPORTS Madden NFL 26 elements—such as route trees, play cards, and player ratings—onto the live game feed. The production uses real-time data from NFL Next Gen Stats and GeniusIQ, Genius Sports’ AI-driven data and animation platform, to generate branded graphics and predictive visualizations throughout the telecast.

The collaboration reflects a growing trend toward interactive and data-enhanced sports presentations.

“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,” added Evan Dexter, VP of Franchise Strategy and Marketing at EA SPORTS.

Steve Greenberg will produce the broadcast, with Tim Nelson directing. NBC Sports’ traditional coverage of Bengals-Ravens will also air on NBC, Peacock, Telemundo, and Universo. The commentary team features NBC Sports’ Paul Burmeister on play-by-play, former NFL quarterback and Madden expert Kurt Benkert, and three-time All-Pro safety Tyrann Mathieu. On-site in Baltimore, six-time Bengals Pro Bowler Chad Johnson will return as “ratings adjuster,” joined by reporter Kay Adams.

The Madden NFL Cast continues a busy football season for Peacock, which will also host an NFL Week 17 primetime game on Saturday, Dec. 27, and serve as the streaming home for major upcoming NBCUniversal sports properties, including the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, Super Bowl LX, and the NBA All-Star Game.