Chiefs Texans game on Peacock to showcase Madden alternative cast

NFL executive vice president of media distribution Hans Schroeder: “The Madden game franchise has had an indelible impact on generations of football fans and gamers alike, and we look forward to honoring that legacy with this unique broadcast of a crucial matchup with postseason implications.”

NBCUniversal isn’t the only NFL TV partner leaning hard into alternative telecasts as a way to attract new fans and give viewers more options.

Disney’s ESPN, the king of alt-casts, which boasts the popular “ManningCast” with Eli and Peyton Manning, will roll out a new The Simpsons Funday Football stream of Cowboys vs. Bengals on Disney+ and ESPN+ on Dec. 9. (On Christmas Day, ESPN will also roll out a “Dunk the Halls” version of the NBA’s Knicks and Spurs featuring Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters.) At our live “Tuned In” event, Burke Magnus, ESPN’s president of content, said the ManningCast will “for sure” be part of the network’s first-ever telecast of a Super Bowl on Feb. 14, 2027.

Meanwhile, CBS Sports and Nickelodeon will again team up for a “KidsCast” of an NFL Wild Card game during Wild Card Weekend from Jan. 11–13. Nate Burleson will lead coverage of the slime-filled telecast. That’s not even counting the special NFL telecasts by NBC/Walmart and Amazon Prime Video on Thanksgiving Night and Black Friday that will combine football with “shoppable ads” during the game action. NFL media czar Brian Rolapp has given the green light for networks and giant streamers to experiment with new formats. Their attitude now seems to be: Everybody in the pool.