EA Sports teams with ESPN to promote 'Madden'
(AP) -- If you have a spouse, a sibling or some other relative or friend who loves football and video games, don't expect to see much of him (or her) this weekend. "Madden NFL 10," the latest installment of the series that took armchair quarterbacking to a new level, comes out Friday.
EA Sports usually launches "Madden" with a party - last year's "Maddenpalooza" was held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. But this year, says marketing director Nathan Stewart, EA wants to "reach all our fans in all corners of the country." The main promotional effort involves a tie-in with ESPN's "Monday Night Football," which returns to television Thursday night.
The first "MNF" game is a preseason rematch between last season's Super Bowl contenders, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals. Not coincidentally, the cover of "Madden NFL 10" features a player from each team: Troy Polamalu of the Steelers and Larry Fitzgerald of the Cardinals.
"Madden" will be featured throughout the "MNF" broadcast as well as other ESPN programs Thursday, including "SportsCenter" and "NFL Countdown." The video game will also be promoted across ESPN's Web site and mobile applications.
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