NFL and Skillz Launch Game Developer Challenge, Submission Period Now Open
Winning Games Slated to Debut at the Start of 2022 NFL Season with Co-Promotion from NFL and Skillz
The National Football League (NFL) and Skillz (NYSE: SKLZ), the leading mobile games platform bringing fair competition to players worldwide, today announced that the NFL & Skillz Game Developer Challenge is now live and accepting proposals from the developer community. Through this first-of-its-kind collaboration, competing developers have the opportunity to create innovative NFL-inspired and branded mobile games, excluding 11 vs 11 simulation, powered by the Skillz esports platform.
As part of the multi-year agreement announced in February, the challenge is open to all interested game developers, from indie developers to established studios. Participating developers must submit their game concept proposal by May 31, 2021; a panel of NFL and Skillz judges will review all submissions and select those that will proceed to the development stage. Ultimately, finalists will present their creations to the judges to win the coveted rights to brand their game with the NFL and club logos. The NFL and Skillz will launch and provide cross-platform promotion of the winning games to coincide with the start of the 2022 NFL season.
“From the moment we announced the collaboration with the NFL, the Skillz gaming community has been buzzing with excitement over this ultimate football competition,” said Andrew Paradise, CEO and founder of Skillz. “Developers rarely have the opportunity to capture the attention of the NFL and football fans everywhere in this way, so we can’t wait to see which games score the big win!”
“This challenge combines the power of the Skillz platform and the NFL brand to reimagine football for mobile esports,” said Rachel Hoagland, VP of Gaming and Partnerships at the NFL. “For developers, this is an incredible opportunity to exercise their creativity, and for our fans, it’s an exciting new way for them to experience NFL gaming in the palm of their hands.”
The NFL & Skillz Game Developer Challenge will span the 2021 NFL season and interested participants can learn more about the challenge by visiting skillz.com/nflchallenge.
About Skillz Inc.
Skillz is the leading mobile games platform that connects players in fair, fun, and meaningful competition. The Skillz platform helps developers build multi-million dollar franchises by enabling social competition in their games. Leveraging its patented technology, Skillz hosts billions of casual esports tournaments for millions of mobile players worldwide, and distributes millions in prizes each month. Skillz has earned recognition as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, CNBC’s Disruptor 50, Forbes’ Next Billion-Dollar Startups, and the #1 fastest-growing company in America on the Inc. 5000. www.skillz.com
Contacts
Skillz Inc.
skillz@methodcommunications.com
National Football League (NFL)
Liana Bailey