Madden NFL 18 Esports to Be Broadcast by ESPN, Disney XD

The Madden NFL 18 Club Championship will be broadcast live on ESPN and Disney XD during the Pro Bowl and next week leading up to the Super Bowl. 

Per Dean Takahashi of Venture Beat, Electronic Arts announced its broadcasting agreement with ESPN and Disney XD Friday. 

"We wanted to work with long-term partners, and that is how we wound up with ESPN and Disney," Todd Sitrin, senior vice president and general manager of competitive gaming at EA, said. "ESPN offers us distribution to a sports audience, and Disney XD lets us talk to an entertainment audience and a younger audience. The combination of the two is important."

The Madden NFL 18 Club Championship Final will take place on Feb. 1 and air on ESPN2, with the winner earning a trip to Super Bowl LII between the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots three days later. 

Disney XD will handle broadcasts of the Madden NFL Ultimate League beginning in February. The event will include 16 of the top Madden NFL 18 players from all over the world competing in a 13-week tournament that culminates at the 2018 NFL draft in April. 

Sitrin noted the Ultimate League includes a prize pool of $500,000, the largest payout for Madden in history. 

Per EA Sports' official website, the prize money breaks down with $100,000 going to the winner. The league is separated into four divisions featuring four teams, with the top 10 teams advancing to the single-elimination postseason.