Star Wars Funday Football Will Bring Animated Telecast to Super Bowl LXI
Disney and its partners have announced an animated Super Bowl presentation for February 2027, bringing live football into the Star Wars galaxy across three Disney platforms.
By Hushread Stories, written with AI from 8 outlets · First published 20 Oct 2026
In brief
- ESPN, Lucasfilm, Disney and the NFL are collaborating on an animated presentation of Super Bowl LXI.
- Star Wars Funday Football will air on February 14, 2027, alongside other presentations of the game.
- The telecast will be available on Disney+, Disney Channel and Disney XD as an alternative viewing option.
- The presentation will recreate every play using animated player avatars, with Star Wars characters appearing during key moments.
- C-3PO will help guide viewers through the broadcast, bringing a familiar Star Wars character into football coverage.
Timeline · 4 moments
C-3PO named among figures guiding fans through telecast
Variety Movies ↗Animated format promises to recreate every football play
Forbes - Business Business & Economy ↗February broadcast set for three Disney viewing platforms
Deadline Hollywood ↗ESPN, Lucasfilm and NFL announce Star Wars Super Bowl collaboration
ESPN Press Room ↗How it started
Super Bowl LXI is getting a Star Wars version. On October 20, ESPN Press Room announced that ESPN, Lucasfilm and the NFL would bring Star Wars Funday Football to Disney+, Disney Channel and Disney XD.
The project builds on the animated Funday Football format rather than replacing the main game broadcast. The Hollywood Reporter described it as the latest installment in that series, joining several other alternate presentations planned for the Super Bowl.
How it unfolded
The October 20 announcement set the broadcast for February 14, 2027. Deadline Hollywood reported that the presentation would place Super Bowl LXI in the Star Wars galaxy, with characters from the franchise joining the action.
The central idea is to translate the game into animation as it happens. According to Forbes, the presentation will recreate every play, turn players into animated avatars and bring Star Wars characters into key moments.
One familiar figure already has a prominent place in the plan. Variety Movies reported that C-3PO would help guide football fans through the telecast. That gives the presentation a recognizable Star Wars presence beyond its animated setting.
Where it stands
Star Wars Funday Football is an announced alternate telecast, with its date and three distribution platforms identified. The coverage describes a live animated version of the football game, not a separate Star Wars story or a replacement for the other Super Bowl broadcasts, according to ESPN Press Room and The Hollywood Reporter.
What to watch
The next details to watch are the wider character lineup and how those characters will fit around live plays. Forbes reported that franchise characters would appear at key moments, while Variety Movies identified C-3PO's guiding role. The supplied coverage does not give a full rundown of those appearances.
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