The Force Is Strong With Football! Star Wars Takes Over Super Bowl LXI With New Animated Funday Football!

There is no question that Disney has found some rather imaginative ways to bring its beloved characters and franchises into the world of professional sports. From the colorful world of Toy Story to the wonderfully chaotic adventures of The Simpsons and Monsters, Inc., the company’s animated NFL broadcasts have given families an entirely different way to experience football. And now, for the biggest game of the year, Disney is preparing to take things to a galaxy far, far away!

ESPN, Lucasfilm, Disney and the NFL have officially announced Star Wars Funday Football, an all-new animated alternate presentation of Super Bowl LXI, airing February 14, 2027, on Disney+, Disney Channel, Disney XD and the ESPN App.

And this time, the Force will be joining the action on the field!

The special broadcast will recreate the Super Bowl in real time, transforming the competing AFC and NFC championship teams into animated avatars within the Star Wars universe. Throughout the game, familiar characters from the beloved franchise will join the action, with plenty of hidden Easter eggs and surprises for longtime enthusiasts to discover.

Among the familiar faces confirmed for the event is C-3PO, with original Star Wars actor Anthony Daniels returning to lend his voice to the iconic droid.

Using technology from Sony’s Beyond Sports, alongside the NFL’s Next Gen Stats and Sony’s Hawk-Eye Innovations tracking systems, the broadcast will translate actual player movements and gameplay into an animated experience as the game unfolds. It’s the same technology that helped bring previous Funday Football presentations to life, but on a considerably larger stage.

And what makes this particular collaboration especially exciting is its timing.

The special arrives as Lucasfilm celebrates the 50th anniversary of Star Wars, with a newly restored version of the original 1977 film returning to theaters just five days later, on February 19. Bringing the franchise into the Super Bowl festivities offers another way to celebrate its extraordinary legacy while introducing younger audiences to the galaxy that has captivated generations.

Star Wars Funday Football also marks the first animated alternate presentation of a Super Bowl, following the success of Toy Story Funday Football, The Simpsons Funday Football and Monsters Funday Football.

And the celebration won’t be limited to game day! Beginning October 20, Disney+’s SC+ will introduce Star Wars-themed Hyperspace Highlights featuring plays from Monday Night Football. Starting October 26, the program will also feature an animated Darth Vader interviewing an NFL player ahead of that evening’s game.

Additional details surrounding the animated Super Bowl presentation, including its setting, commentators and participating Star Wars characters, will be announced closer to the event.

With the biggest night in American football meeting one of entertainment’s most recognizable franchises, Star Wars Funday Football is shaping up to be a rather extraordinary celebration for fans of both worlds.

And come February, it looks like the road to the Super Bowl will lead straight into hyperspace!