ESPN has announced a Madden NFL 20 Celebrity Tournament esports event to air April 20th-26th.
What’s Happening:
- ESPN is hosting a Madden NFL 20 Celebrity Tournament that will take place from April 20th through 25th through ESPN apps and social media accounts, with a Championship to air on ESPN2 on April 26th.
- A Bracket Reveal Kickoff will air on Sunday, April 19th, at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
- Matches will take place on ESPN Esports Twitch, YouTube, ESPN Twitter, and the ESPN app at 12:00 pm ET.
- The Championship finale will air on ESPN2 on Sunday, April 26th, at 12:00 pm ET.
- The tournament will feature a mix of professional athletes, celebrities, and ESPN talent. A full list can be found below.
- The winner will receive a donation in their name to Feeding America.
- ESPN’s Madden NFL 20 Celebrity Tournament is produced by PlayVS and Nerd Street Gamers, hosted by Field Yates and Arda Ocal.
- This tournament is part of ESPN’s #oneteam initiative in collaboration with EA’s “Stay Home. Play Together” program to help the gaming community connect through social distancing.
Tournament Participants:
- Cam Jordan – New Orleans Saints defensive end
- Chris Weidman – UFC athlete and former middleweight champion
- Daniel Cormier – UFC athlete and former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion
- DeAndre Hopkins – Arizona Cardinals wide receiver
- Devonta Freeman – NFL running back
- Drew Lock – Denver Broncos quarterback
- Marquise “Hollywood” Brown – Baltimore Ravens wide receiver
- Katie Nolan – ESPN host, Always Late with Katie Nolan
- Lil Yachty – rapper, singer and songwriter
- Melvin Gordon – Denver Broncos running back
- Omar Raja – ESPN digital and social content commentator
- Pat McAfee – ESPN analyst and contributor
- Snoop Dogg – rapper, producer, entrepreneur, and actor
- Stefon Diggs – Buffalo Bills wide receiver
- Travis Kelce – Kansas City Chiefs tight end
- YG – rapper and actor
What They’re Saying:
- Ryan Spoon, senior vice president of social & digital content: “Like our broader content efforts on digital and social platforms, esports and gaming are core to our audience expansion priority. We remain committed to serving all fans, and the Madden NFL 20 Celebrity Tournament is a great way to show that, even though participants are competing against each other, they are all on #oneteam.”
- John Fazio, founder and CEO of Nerd Street Gamers: “Producing the Madden NFL 20 Celebrity Tournament is a natural progression for Nerd Street Gamers as traditional sports and esports continue to converge. I grew up watching ESPN every day and seeing our brand on there will be a dream come true. Esports is playing a major role in bringing people together during these difficult times and we are excited to work with PlayVS and ESPN for this tournament going towards a great cause.”
- Delane Parnell, CEO and founder of PlayVS: “ESPN is sports. It’s the north star for everything relevant, exciting, and compelling about the world of sports. As esports adoption grows, we’re fortunate to run a tournament like the Madden NFL 20 Celebrity Tournament that furthers visibility on such a culturally significant stage. All of the reasons we love sports — competition, community, teamwork, stories — are the same reasons we love esports. ESPN shining a light on these things is important, exciting and we’re thrilled to be a part of it.”