It’s official: Drew Brees is the Madden NFL 11 cover athlete. And, apparently, he’s ecstatic about it — besides the infamous Madden curse. Last week, Electronic Arts revealed that Super Bowl XLIV MVP, Drew Brees, will be gracing the cover of the upcoming Madden NFL installment, Madden NFL 11. In response, Brees said this:

“I think the atmosphere of a game, where you step out on the field and you hear the crowd noise, is really special,” said Brees. “Then when you throw a touchdown and run into that end zone and jump on a teammate … that interaction and that atmosphere is obviously something where you have to be there to feel.”

“But to me, being in ‘Madden’ is just another way to connect with the fans. It helps educates the fans about the plays, the players, the teams. I have a Wii, and when my son gets older, it’s going to be fun to be able to play the game together. I have a feeling he’s going to be a gamer pretty soon,” he added.

The Madden NFL 11 cover adds to the long list of Brees’ triumphs, coming five years after his career was almost ended during a game with the San Diego Chargers. However, such mishaps will certainly be on the minds of his fans, due to the so-called “Madden Curse” that has afflicted many players who have chosen to grace the cover.

Update: Electronic Arts released THE REAL Super Bowl advertisement.

Those expecting to “Go to Hell” during the Super Bowl maybe be a bit upset. In an attempted to make the Super Bowl viewing experience as “family-friendly” as possible, CBS has rejected the Dante’s Inferno “Go to Hell” Super Bowl advertisement. However, Electronic Arts, its publisher, were told to revise the commercial so that it reads “Hell Awaits”, instead.

Electronic Art had brought the “Go to Hell” tagline to use in several marketing strategies. However, “It was deemed too provocative,” said Paulo Ribeiro when talking about the commercials verdict. “The final verdict has yet to be rendered, but it is unlikely that we will get [it by game day].”

The Super Bowl advertisement will cap off a breakthrough marketing campaign crafted for Dante’s Inferno; this will be Electronic Arts’ first ad during the Super Bowl.

“Even within the spectrum of live sports events, the Super Bowl stands apart, almost as a national holiday,” said Frank Gibeau, president at EA. “The Super Bowl is a bull’s-eye in terms of cross-over to our core demographic and the reach is outstanding. Not only does it draw 100 million viewers, but most people watch the Super Bowl live, a rarity in the world of DVRs.”

After multiple weeks of speculation, we have finally learned that Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals will be sharing the cover of the Madden NFL 2010.

It’s the first time in 21 years that EA has decided on two athletes for the Madden cover. However, Grand Slam Tennis and Fight Night Round 4 -  which are both releasing this year - also feature multiple athletes on their respective covers.

Wait!?!? These are the same two players from the same two teams that were in this year’s Super Bowl. What are the chances?

5.5 million households brought home an HDTV set for the first time during the 2007/2008 holiday and Super Bowl season this year. A recent study of consumers across the U.S. indicates that 25 percent of U.S. households or 28 million now have at least one HDTV set, that up from a penetration of 20 percent in September 2007. In a study conducted shortly after Super Bowl XLII, Frank N. Magid Associates identified an impressive three million homes added a second HDTV during this same time frame, bringing multiple HDTV set homes up to nearly 10 million.

"Consumers who become accustomed to the sleek and contemporary appearance of their first HD set are now looking to bring that benefit into other rooms in their home," says Maryann Baldwin, Vice President, Magid Media Futures(TM). "However owning an HDTV set and actually viewing HD are still two very different pursuits for many."

Due to falling prices and the upcoming digital transition, a larger percentage of younger adults 21-34 purchased HDTV’s this holiday season. Among those who purchased their HDTV set in the past year, 18 percent say they did so to connect it to a high definition video game console like Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3.

"Now that the early majority has joined the ranks of the HD adopters, the demographic makeup of the HD population is looking more like the overall U.S. TV viewing universe," says Jill Rosengard Hill, Vice President and Managing Director.

Among those who reside in a household with at least one HDTV set, the number who have taken steps to arrange for HD programming reception hold steady compared to other recent studies at 70 percent. Among the 30 percent of HDTV set owners who have not made these arrangements, many site costs and a limited number of channels available in high definition. Satellite customers make up half of this group, and most of them say they are not prepared to purchase the new equipment necessary to add this service. Just three percent of homes own an HDTV set that is receiving HD programming from their local stations via an over-the-air antenna.

HD adoption appears poised to continue its accelerating growth rate. Not only do three-in-ten households plan to purchase a new TV in the next year, nearly all of them indicate that if they make this purchase, the new television will be an HDTV set. Much of the demand seen this year is driven by both the continuing decline in HD set prices, and the belief among some consumers that the digital television transition slated for February 2009 requires that consumers actually purchase a set capable of displaying high-definition.

Findings also show that 24 percent of those who do not currently own an HDTV set feel it is important they will be able to watch the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in high-definition, another driver that could lead to higher than normal second quarter TV sales, a quarter typically known for its slow TV purchase activity.

While few said the Super Bowl drove their purchase intent, 25 percent of U.S. households watched some portion of the match up between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots in high definition, either in their own home, or in the home of a friend or a family member representing a third of all Super Bowl viewers.

Current HD owners will also drive demand for HD sets. Nearly four-in-ten current HDTV set owners plan to purchase yet another HDTV set in the next 12 months.

Magid conducted this online research among 1,235 consumers nationally representative of the U.S. online population, age 21 and over. A written report on the study is now available for purchase. Contact Jill Rosengard Hill at 212-515-4523 or Jrosengardhill@magid.com.

Please Note: This was a press release