EA SPORTS presents Madden Bowl

ABOUT THIS ENTRY

EA SPORTS Presents Madden Bowl is more than an event or brand activation; it's EA SPORTS' annual declaration that we're not just part of sport, we're shaping and driving the culture in, around, and beyond the game.

On the biggest stage in American sports, during Super Bowl LX week in San Francisco, EA SPORTS united 330+ world-class athletes, artists, creators, and brands to celebrate the transformative power of play.

For the brand, EA SPORTS Presents Madden Bowl represents a culmination of our mission to cement EA SPORTS as the entertainment epicenter for global sports fans and to demonstrate that we sit uniquely at the intersection of innovation, sports, and culture.

This transformative experience reached everyone, from those in San Francisco and the Bay Area to players engaging with Madden at home thousands of miles away.

How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"?

EA SPORTS Presents Madden Bowl at Super Bowl LX didn't just perform—it redefined fan engagement at the intersection of sports, gaming, and culture. With 420M+ in talent social reach (+272% YoY), 32,400 engagements in the lead-up alone (+3,343% YoY), and 10x the media impressions compared to the prior year, this campaign set a new standard for how brands can organically activate around tentpole moments without relying solely on paid amplification.

The results prove that when culturally relevant talent, intentional content architecture, and a community-first mindset converge, earned momentum becomes exponential.

For the industry, this work signals a critical evolution: the most powerful fan engagement strategies are no longer built around a single event night—they are sustained narratives, engineered across platforms and weeks, that invite audiences in rather than broadcast at them.

EA SPORTS has demonstrated that gaming brands can command the same cultural gravity as legacy sports and entertainment properties, offering a replicable blueprint for authentically reaching, captivating, and growing the next generation of fans.

Objective

Recognizing that traditional playbooks no longer break through with next-generation audiences, our 2026 communications strategy was built to make EA SPORTS Presents Madden Bowl an essential part of Super Bowl week culture.

We focused on three priorities:

• First, to identify culturally resonant talent and partners capable of extending relevance beyond sports media and into entertainment, lifestyle, and digital conversation.

• Second, we wanted to design intentional, highly shareable content moments that could spark authentic fandom, generate earned attention, and drive amplification well beyond paid support.

• Third, wanted to activate a diversified media strategy that balanced sports coverage with broader culture outlets to maximize reach, credibility, and frequency across key audiences.

Together, this approach was intended to elevate Madden Bowl from a tentpole event into a conversation-driving cultural moment, deepen affinity with younger fans, and demonstrate how EA SPORTS can lead at the intersection of football, gaming, entertainment, and culture on the biggest stage.

Strategy & Execution

Rather than treating EA SPORTS Presents Madden Bowl as a single-night event, we repositioned it as the centerpiece of a sustained campaign narrative spanning Super Bowl week.

From an exclusive Billboard talent reveal in December to red-carpet coverage on event night, every touchpoint was designed to build momentum, sustain media interest, and deepen fan engagement.

On the ground in San Francisco, we layered real-time, behind-the-scenes storytelling across TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms, meeting our community where they already scroll. Intentional content moments — from athlete appearances during performances to socially-native interviews at Radio Row — drove organic posting.

This always-on, culturally embedded approach aligned directly with our North Star: building the world's largest, most connected, fan-powered sports community through authentic experiences that inspire the next generation of players and fans.

Nominations

• Best Event Experience

Organizations

• EA SPORTS

Featured

• Tom Brady
• Saquon Barkley
• Teyana Taylor
• Alix Earle
• Olivia Dunne
• Tiffany Hadish

Credits

John Reseburg
VP of Marketing, Partnerships & Communication
EA SPORTS

Angie Storino
Senior Director, Brand Communications
EA SPORTS

Will Alexander
Senior Manager, Communications
EA SPORTS

Madeleine Word
Brand Communications Manager
EA SPORTS

Maddie Fiorante
PR Manager, American Football
EA SPORTS