ESPN will officially close the book on the 2025–26 NFL season and immediately pivot toward its next era of Super Bowl coverage with The Handoff, a one-time, 24-hour, multi-platform programming initiative debuting Sunday, February 8, following Super Bowl LX.
The event is designed as a symbolic and logistical transition from Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara to Super Bowl LXI, which will be played February 14, 2027, and marks the first Super Bowl carried by ESPN.
Powered by the network’s top personalities and amplified across ESPN, ABC and Disney platforms, The Handoff will feature live studio shows, exclusive reveals and original storytelling from multiple Southern California locations.
The initiative begins Sunday night following the conclusion of NFL PrimeTime at Levi’s Stadium. In a ceremonial moment linking ESPN’s past to its future, longtime NFL voice Chris Berman will “hand off” coverage to Scott Van Pelt, who will anchor the opening moments of the event from SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park, the site of Super Bowl LXI.
Van Pelt will then host his signature late-night edition of SportsCenter, delivering extended highlights and reaction from Super Bowl LX between the Patriots and Seahawks, while also teasing ESPN’s roadmap to its upcoming Super Bowl debut.
Later that night, Super Bowl Live, hosted by Laura Rutledge, will air from SoFi Stadium, continuing the network’s comprehensive recap of the championship game and examining emerging NFL storylines heading into the offseason.
Programming continues Monday, February 9, with ESPN studio shows broadcasting from Disneyland Park and other locations across Southern California. With a live set in Town Square at the foot of Main Street, U.S.A., First Take with Stephen A. Smith, multiple editions of SportsCenter, NFL Live and a second episode of Super Bowl Live will originate from inside the park.
ESPN will also honor a player from the Super Bowl LX championship team during the day’s coverage.
The Handoff extends beyond ESPN’s core platforms through coordinated ABC and Disney integrations. Good Morning America will originate portions of its Monday broadcast from Levi’s Stadium, while a player interview from the Super Bowl LX championship team is scheduled to air Tuesday.
World News Tonight with David Muir will also feature content tied to the initiative during its Monday broadcast, further reinforcing the network-wide approach.
The daylong event will span the entire West Coast programming slate, beginning with Get Up from ESPN’s Los Angeles studios and concluding with Jimmy Kimmel Live! from Hollywood.
ESPN executives view The Handoff as both a celebration and a strategic reset, offering a clear bridge from one NFL season to the next while previewing the scale and ambition of the company’s upcoming Super Bowl coverage.
The initiative also serves as as a prelude to ESPN and Disney’s full Super Bowl initiative to leverage their full portfolio of platforms when the network officially joins the Super Bowl rotation in 2027.
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