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EA, Madden give video gamers a shot at NFL glory

Electronic Arts announced a new competitive video game tournamentt where players represent the team of his or her choice. 

Josh Cherniss of Los Angeles, CA plays EA Sports 'Madden NFL 18' during the Electronic Arts EA Play event at the Hollywood Palladium on June 10, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. The E3 Game Conference begins on Tuesday June 13. 

Ever dream of representing your favorite NFL team based on your football skills? Video game players get their shot starting Tuesday.

Electronic Arts announced a new competitive video game tournament called Madden NFL Club Championship, named after its successful National Football League simulation.

The tournament consists of 32 teams, with a competitive video game player representing the team of his or her choice. Any player can sign up on the Madden website.

After qualifying as a top player for a specific team, players will participate in a smaller tournament to determine the representatives for the New England Patriots, Atlanta Falcons and other 30 NFL teams.

The final 32 players will compete at the Madden NFL Club Championship Live Finals, starting at the Pro Bowl Experience in Orlando, Fla., and concluding during Super Bowl festivities in Minneapolis. Total prize money for the championship is more than $400,000.

Both professional sports teams and video game makers are leaping into the growing market of esports, where video game players engage in a variety of competitive leagues and tournaments similar to traditional sports, often for large cash prizes. Digital research firm Newzoo projects revenue from esports to reach $1.5 billion by 2020.

For EA, a structure allowing any owner of the video game Madden NFL 18 to potentially qualify for the tournament will bolster engagement. A special edition of the game is available August 22, while the standard edition is available August 25.

Meanwhile, for the NFL, it’s a new way to attract younger football fans. “The gamer audience is a younger, digital-savvy audience, many of whom love the NFL but are difficult to reach through traditional means,” said Chris Halpin, the NFL’s chief strategy officer and senior VP of consumer products.

In May, video game publisher Take-Two Interactive announced a partnership with the National Basketball Association to create a league featuring players of the video game NBA 2K. It will launch next year with the support of 17 NBA teams.

Meanwhile, Activision Blizzard unveiled the first teams for its Overwatch League, which will include New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft among those owning a team.

“Competitive gaming and esports isn’t just for the elite few,” said Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson during an interview. “What we’re trying to do is build an ecosystem where everyone — if they play enough and their fandom is strong enough — can hope to represent their team.”

Tournaments to determine the 32 qualifiers for the Live Finals will take place at the location of the individual team's choosing. For example, a team could host the tournament at their stadium, or a special landmark. Last year, the Minnesota Vikings hosted a Madden tournament at the Mall of America.

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