Further cross-pollinating the brands under Mickey’s purview, ESPN, The Walt Disney Company and the National Football League have collaborated on a first-of-its-kind NFL game presentation: Toy Story Funday Football , which will bring the Atlanta Falcons vs. Jacksonville Jaguars action into the animated world of Pixar’s Toy Story in real time.
Fans can tune in Sunday morning, October 1, at 9:30 a.m. ET, on Disney+, ESPN+ and on mobile with NFL+ when the action of Wembley Stadium in London (host of NFL International Series game) is recreated simultaneously in Andy’s room, from the groundbreaking movie franchise.
Andy’s room will replicate the on-the-field gameplay from Wembley, where each Falcon and Jaguar player will have animated representation on a traditional looking field, catered to the Toy Story setting. The football action will come to animated life through state-of-the-art tracking technology enabled by the NFL’s Next Gen Stats player tracking data and Beyond Sports.
In addition to the gameplay, all the surrounding aspects of the game will all embrace the theme in their packaging and delivery, all occurring in Andy’s room. Plus, Woody, Buzz and many other characters from the film franchise will be visible throughout, participating from the sidelines and in other non-gameplay elements.
Announcers 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 translate to screens through motion-capture technology. Joining Woody and Buzz will be other familiar faces from Toy Story, including Bo Peep, Bullseye, Bunny, Ducky, Forky, the Green Aliens, Jesse, Rex and Slinky Dog. The streaming event will also feature a special halftime show featuring Toy Story daredevil Duke Caboom attempting a motorcycle jump.
The program will also include demonstrations, including ‘how to’ videos, trivia and more throughout the telecast to teach the game of football to the audience. Plus, real-life Falcons and Jaguar players will also contribute through pre-recorded segments and interviews.
Toy Story Funday Football is made possible by ESPN, ESPN’s Edge Innovation Center, Disney, NFL, Pixar, Next Gen Stats, Beyond Sports and Silver Spoon.
In the United States, Toy Story Funday Football will be available live on Disney+ and ESPN+, with replay available shortly after the game ends on Disney+ and NFL+ for a limited time. Globally, the special presentation will be available in over 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.
