ESPN is officially turning the page toward its first Super Bowl broadcast with an expansive, yearlong initiative designed to build momentum across television, streaming, digital, live events and theme parks ahead of February 2027.
The network on Wednesday unveiled “The Year of the Super Bowl,” a 12-month, multi-platform celebration created in collaboration with the National Football League and backed by the full resources of The Walt Disney Company. The campaign will culminate with ESPN and ABC televising Super Bowl LXI on Feb. 14, 2027, marking the first time ESPN produces the NFL’s championship game.
The effort launched immediately following Super Bowl LX with a coordinated event titled The Handoff, spanning SoFi Stadium and Disneyland Park. During a symbolic on-air moment, longtime ESPN personality Chris Berman ceremonially passed coverage responsibilities to Scott Van Pelt, visually connecting the close of one Super Bowl to the beginning of another. Van Pelt anchored SportsCenter from SoFi Stadium, which will host Super Bowl LXI, before ESPN programming shifted to Disneyland Park the following day.
Jimmy Pitaro, ESPN chairman, described the initiative as a companywide undertaking that blends storytelling, technology and fan engagement while leveraging Disney’s global reach.
“With the full strength of The Walt Disney Company and in collaboration with the NFL, ESPN has embarked on a year-long Super Bowl celebration,” said Jimmy Pitaro, ESPN Chairman. “Across our platforms, screens, and parks, we’ll build momentum throughout the year toward Super Bowl LXI — a monumental event for sports fans everywhere and for ESPN.”
At the core of the strategy sits an ambitious content plan titled 61 Super Bowl Stories, which will unfold across ESPN platforms throughout the year. A weekly series, I Scored a Touchdown, will spotlight players who reached the end zone in the Super Bowl, offering short-form features designed for television and digital distribution.
The first installment featured David Tyree, whose touchdown in Super Bowl XLII preceded his iconic helmet catch for the New York Giants.
In addition, ESPN launched a new weekly video podcast, The Biggest Game, hosted by Jeremy Schaap, revisiting defining moments from six decades of Super Bowl history. The premiere episode featured Berman, who has covered 44 consecutive Super Bowls, and new episodes will roll out around the NFL Draft and beyond.
The campaign also extends beyond sports programming. ESPN and Disney debuted We’re Going, a marketing spot that reimagines the long-running I’m Going to Disney World tradition by assembling more than 60 Disney characters and personalities en route to Super Bowl LXI.
The ad will air across ESPN and Disney platforms, reinforcing the cross-company scope of the initiative.
Meanwhile, Disney Advertising plans to introduce premium, cross-platform opportunities tied to the yearlong celebration, offering brands integrated access across ESPN, ABC and Disney properties.
Together, the coordinated storytelling, marketing activations and live-event integrations signal ESPN’s intent to treat Super Bowl LXI not as a single broadcast window, but as a multiyear cultural moment unfolding in real time.
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