Madden NFL to bring real stadium sponsors into the game
The Philadelphia Eagles lead a new EA and NFL program that carries each real stadium's signage into its virtual twin.
Real stadium advertising is heading into Madden NFL. EA and the league announced the Virtual Stadium Sponsorship Program on Tuesday, and it will run on console and mobile.
The Philadelphia Eagles are the first club in. Pond Lehocky, a work injury law firm that sponsors the team, is the first brand: its signs at Lincoln Financial Field, the Eagles' home, will appear in the virtual stadium.
Any brand that already sponsors one of the 32 clubs or the league can take part, with some exclusions that EA leaves to its terms. The company built technology that maps physical signage onto each in-game stadium, and the ads sit in the venue without interrupting play.
The audience is large. Players log more than 2 billion games of Madden NFL a year across console and mobile, the company estimates.
Alex Dao, EA's vice president of advertising and partnerships, said putting real stadiums and their brands in the game makes game day feel more authentic. For the NFL, Ed Kiang, who works on its interactive and experiential licensing, called it a new way for brands to reach fans beyond the game itself.
The announcement does not say what participation costs or how revenue is split among EA, the clubs and the league. Madden NFL is the league's simulation game under a multiyear partnership that both sides renewed in 2025.
The program starts this season, with the Eagles as the first club and more brands to come.
