NFL, ESPN Go To London And Beyond With Disney 'Toy Story' Alternate Broadcast
Monday, September 11, 2023 at 08:23PM By Barry Janoff
September 11, 2023: ESPN has been having success with alternate broadcasts, including Monday Night Football with Ell and Peyton Manning.
Now, Woody, Buzz Lightyear and friends are getting an NFL spotlight.
When the Atlanta Falcons play the Jacksonville Jaguars on Oct. 1 in London’s Wembley Stadium, the main broadcast will be exclusive on ESPN+ (9:30 AM ET) but an alternate broadcast will air on Disney+ featuring characters from Toy Story.
According to ESPN, a division of Disney, while the live-action game plays out on ESPN+, the game will be reimagined as “Toy Story Funday Football” in Andy’s room, “where each Falcon and Jaguar player will have animated representation on a traditional looking field, catered to the Toy Story setting.
“Fans will view every run, pass, score and all football-related action through state-of-the-art tracking technology enabled by the NFL’s Next Gen Stats player tracking data and Beyond Sports.”
There will also be a special halftime show featuring Duke Caboom.
The NFL presentation comes via by ESPN, ESPN’s Edge Innovation Center, Disney, NFL, Pixar, Next Gen Stats, Beyond Sports, and Silver Spoon.
The platform follows NFL collaborations with CBS and Nickelodeon alternative broadcasts, also targeting a younger viewing audience.
In addition to the gameplay, all the surrounding aspects of the game — announcers, graphics, scoreboard, penalty announcements, celebrations, and more— will all "embrace the Toy Story-themed offering in their packaging and delivery, all occurring in Andy’s room," according to ESPN.
Woody, Buzz Lightyear and many of the characters from the animated series will be visible throughout, participating from the sidelines and in other non-gameplay elements.
Chris Fowler, Dan Orlovsky, Louis Riddick, and Laura Rutledge will be in Wembley Stadium for the actual game call.
On Disney+, Drew Carter (play-by-play), Booger McFarland (analyst) and 12-year old Pepper Persley (reporter) will commentate, with all three fully animated and their body movements viewed through motion-capture technology
Joining Woody and Buzz in Andy’s room will be Bo Peep, Bullseye, Bunny, Ducky, Forky, Green Aliens, Jesse, Re, and Slinky Dog.
Demonstrations, including "how-to" videos, trivia, and more will be used through the telecast to teach the game of football to the audience.
Falcons and Jaguar players will also contribute through pre-recorded segments and interviews.
In the U.S., "Toy Story Funday Football" will be available live on Disney+, with replay available shortly after the game ends on Disney+ and NFL+ for a limited time.
Globally, the special presentation will be available in more than 95 markets live and/or replay, spanning five continents including in Brazil, U.K., Mexico and France.
Video on Demand will also be available in these and other markets 24 hours after the live broadcast ends.
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