Disney Adds Star Wars Animated Super Bowl Telecast to Alternate Broadcast Slate
Disney, ESPN, Lucasfilm and the NFL will produce an animated alternate telecast of Super Bowl LXI set in the Star Wars galaxy. It will stream on Disney+ and the ESPN app and air on Disney Channel and Disney XD, with Anthony Daniels voicing C-3PO and real players rendered as animated avatars. The presentation is part of Disney's Funday Football series and will be accompanied by Star Wars-themed Monday Night Football content on SC+.
The 2027 championship game is scheduled for SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. This Star Wars-themed feed will join the conventional telecast across ABC, ESPN and Disney+, plus other alternates on ESPN2, ESPNU and NFL Network. Sony's Beyond Sports supplies the visualization technology behind the animated avatars, and Anthony Daniels voices C-3PO.
Disney's earlier Funday Football broadcasts used Toy Story, The Simpsons and Monsters Inc. characters, but those accompanied regular-season games rather than the Super Bowl. The new presentation will be available in many international markets, with some territories receiving it shortly after the game ends. SC+ will also add Star Wars-styled Monday Night Football highlights and an animated Darth Vader player interview.
This crossover may draw casual viewers and Star Wars fans who otherwise would not watch the Super Bowl, potentially expanding the event's cultural reach. Families with Disney Channel/Disney XD access could encounter football through familiar characters, while traditionalists may find the alternate feed distracting or gimmicky. It could also encourage more media companies to blend sports with entertainment IP, affecting how rights holders, advertisers and audiences experience live events.