Disney will bring the ‘Star Wars’ universe to Super Bowl LXI in 2027 with an animated alternative telecast featuring C-3PO and other characters from the popular film franchise.
Dubbed “Star Wars Funday Football,” the broadcast will recreate every play of the NFL championship game in real time. It will turn players on the field into animated characters and feature references to the science fiction films.
The telecast will air on Sunday, February 14, 2027, across Disney+, Disney Channel, Disney XD and the ESPN App.
C-3PO to feature in animated broadcast
C-3PO, the golden droid from Lucasfilm’s ‘Star Wars’ movies, will play a major role in the production. Anthony Daniels, the actor who originally portrayed the character, will also take part.
Disney will use player tracking data from the NFL’s Next Gen Stats and Sony’s Hawk-Eye Innovations technology to turn live gameplay into animation.
Characters from the ‘Star Wars’ universe will appear at key moments during the game. The company also plans to include references to the films throughout the broadcast.
Disney said it would reveal more details, including the visual settings, commentators and additional characters, in the coming weeks.
Disney expands Super Bowl viewing options
The animated telecast is part of Disney’s growing lineup for Super Bowl LXI. The event marks the company’s return to broadcasting the championship after about two decades.
Other viewing options will include “Field Pass,” a commentary-driven broadcast hosted by Pat McAfee. ESPN2 will also air a Super Bowl edition of the “ManningCast,” featuring former NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning.
Disney will offer “Playbook,” a statistics-focused telecast on NFL Network, and a Spanish-language broadcast on ESPN Deportes. Other productions will air across ESPN, ABC and additional Disney platforms.
Disney has explored different ways to present the Super Bowl since securing a new NFL rights deal. The agreement keeps “Monday Night Football” on ESPN through 2033.
The partnership later expanded, with the NFL acquiring a 10% stake in ESPN. NFL Network and NFL RedZone also came under ESPN’s umbrella.
‘Star Wars’ marks 50th anniversary
Disney has previously used animated characters to attract younger audiences to sports broadcasts. Past productions have featured characters from ‘Toy Story’, ‘Big City Greens’ and Marvel franchises.
The Super Bowl telecast will also arrive shortly before Lucasfilm celebrates 50 years of ‘Star Wars’.
A restored version of the original 1977 film is scheduled to return to cinemas on February 19, 2027.
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