‘Star Wars’ brings animated telecast to Super Bowl LXI with a familiar character returning
This year's Super Bowl is set to receive the 'Star Wars' treatment. According to ESPN, a real-time, animated telecast of the game set in the 'Star Wars' universe will be streamed on Disney+, Disney Channel, Disney XD, and the ESPN App simultaneously. The game will be aired on Sunday, February 14, 2027. The date is special because Super Bowl LXI (2026 NFL season championship) will be played that day. This will be a huge undertaking, as the game will be created in real time.
Essentially, the 'Star Wars' game will be a recreation of Super Bowl LXI as it happens on the playground. The game in the galaxy is being dubbed 'Star Wars Funday Football,' where animated avatars will replicate players on the field. Disney will make this magic happen by combining player tracking data from the NFL’s Next Gen Stats with Sony’s Hawk-Eye Innovations optical tracking. The game will feature several characters from the 'Star Wars' franchise, and there will also be references made to the iconic movies.
Disney has confirmed the appearance of golden droid C-3PO from the iconic movies. Actor Anthony Daniels, who played the part in the movies, will reprise it in this presentation. Further details on visual settings, commentators, and characters will be announced in the coming days. The venture is history in the making. It is the first animated alternate telecast of the Super Bowl and the fourth one of its kind from ESPN, Disney, and the NFL. In the past, the networks have put out 'Toy Story Funday Football' for an Atlanta Falcons vs. Jacksonville Jaguars game, 'The Simpsons Funday Football' for the Cincinnati Bengals vs. Dallas Cowboys, and 'Monsters Funday Football' for the Philadelphia Eagles vs. San Diego Chargers.
According to ScreenRant, speculation is rife that a Super Bowl-themed 'Starfighter' commercial or trailer will air during the game. The traditional telecast will be available on ESPN, ABC, and Disney+ from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
