|
The Pro Bowl,
previously canceled by the NFL due to the coronavirus pandemic,
is back on -- albeit with a major twist.
The game will be conducted virtually using the Madden NFL 21
video game.
Gamemaker EA Sports will team with the NFL to set up a week of
matchups with celebrities, former NFL stars, current NFL players
and streamers competing with the 2021 Pro Bowl rosters. The
week's culmination will be the virtual Pro Bowl, with active
players who were selected to the team competing against each
other.
"Even amidst unparalleled change across the sports industry, we
are excited to transition many of the signature components of
the Pro Bowl -- which will go virtual in Madden NFL 21 -- into a
new innovative experience for our players and fans," NFL
executive vice president of club business and events Peter
O'Reilly said in a statement. "We remain committed to using our
Pro Bowl platform to empower fans to virtually celebrate the
best players in the game."
Electronic Arts executive vice president of marketing,
commercial & positive play Chris Bruzzo added in a statement,
"We are transforming the Pro Bowl for fans everywhere and
bringing another amazing NFL experience to life in the way only
Madden NFL can. We're excited to work closely with the NFL, our
long-time partner, to move the Pro Bowl to the virtual fields of
Madden NFL and be part of the first high-profile sporting event
to go virtual. Our community is hungry for more interactive
experiences, so we are always working to create more
opportunities to bring them closer to the sports they love."
Pro Bowl balloting started Tuesday at NFL.com/ProBowlVote and
will continue through Dec. 17. Voting will also be allowed
through Madden NFL 21 Mobile and Madden NFL 21 on consoles, and
Twitter votes will be accepted Dec. 1-17 using #ProBowlVote.
On Dec. 18, NFL players and coaches will cast their Pro Bowl
ballots. The voting will be weighed evenly between fan ballots,
player ballots and coach ballots, with 44 players getting
selected from each conference.
The Pro Bowl originally was scheduled for Jan. 31 in Las Vegas,
ahead of Super Bowl LV in Tampa on Feb. 7
--Field Level Media
[© 2020 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2020 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
 |
|
