The Walt Disney Company, ESPN and the National Football League will bring fans a new alternate presentation when the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars play the first of five international games throughout the 2023 regular season. The hit Pixar movie, “Toy Story,” will be the setting for the real-time broadcast, which will take place within the universe. Geared towards younger fans, the broadcast will be based in “Andy’s Room” and feature Toy Story staples such as Woody, Buzz Lightyear and Bo Peep among other characters. The game will be exclusively available through streaming services Disney+ and ESPN+, along with through the league’s NFL+ platform.
Falcons and Jaguars players will be animated and replicate motion from the game itself using the NFL’s Next Gen Stats Player Tracking technology. All other aspects of the contest – including graphics, the scoreboard and celebrations – will occur within the Toy Story setting. Additionally, the broadcasters – which will consist of Drew Carter on play-by-play, Booger McFarland on color commentary and 12-year-old Pepper Persley reporting – will be fully animated utilizing motion-capture technology.
Real-life players will contribute to the presentation through pre-recorded segments and interviews, and there will also be demonstrations meant to convey different parts of the game of football to the audience. Moreover, the halftime show will feature Duke Caboom attempting a motorcycle jump, sure to keep viewers entertained.
The game will be available for replay upon the conclusion of the contest and can be watched in over 95 markets around the world. All of the action begins on Sunday, Oct. 1 at 9:30 a.m. EST/6:30 a.m. PST on Disney+, ESPN+ and the NFL+ platform.
This broadcast marks the latest innovation in ESPN’s alternate broadcast history and utilizes the Disney portfolio to cultivate a unique brand offering. Later in the year, CBS Sports will team up with Paramount Global subsidiary Nickelodeon to present an alternate-themed telecast of Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, Nev., marking the first-ever alternate championship presentation.
The traditional broadcast of the game is also exclusive to ESPN+ and will feature the secondary NFL on ESPN broadcast team of Chris Fowler, Dan Orlovsky, Louis Riddick and Laura Rutledge on the call. On the next night, Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Lisa Salters present the traditional Monday Night Football broadcast on ESPN as the Seattle Seahawks visit MetLife Stadium to take on the New York Giants.
