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ESPN recently announced “The Year Of The Super Bowl”, a sweeping year-long multi-platform celebration of America’s biggest sporting event and building toward ESPN’s first-ever Super Bowl production on February 2027. In collaboration with the NFL (National Football League), this year-long effort marks one of the most ambitious cross-company initiatives in ESPN and Disney history, designed to elevate the Super Bowl experience for fans while uniting the storytelling strength, innovation, and cultural reach of ESPN, Disney, and the NFL.
Launched immediately after Super Bowl LX with “The Handoff” at SoFi Stadium and Disneyland Park, the initiative launches a coordinated campaign that blends iconic moments, expansive content, and fan-first experiences — all building toward Super Bowl LXI on ESPN and ABC on February 14, 2027. “With the full strength of The Walt Disney Company and in collaboration with the NFL, ESPN has embarked on a year-long Super Bowl celebration. This fan-focused initiative unites our Company’s beloved brands with industry-leading storytelling and technology to showcase football’s greatest stories, heroes, and moments like never before. Across our platforms, screens, and parks, we’ll build momentum throughout the year toward Super Bowl LXI — a monumental event for sports fans everywhere and for ESPN,” said ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro.
Launch Moment: “The Handoff” — Setting The Stage For The Year Ahead
ESPN’s “Year Of The Super Bowl” officially kicked off last February 8, 2026 during Super Bowl Sunday with a symbolic on‑air moment where Chris Berman — an original ESPN icon and pillar of NFL coverage — ceremonially “handed off” to Scott Van Pelt. Berman joined from Levi’s Stadium at Super Bowl LX while Van Pelt anchored from SoFi Stadium, home of Super Bowl LXI on ESPN and ABC. Van Pelt hosted SportsCenter, followed by the debut of Super Bowl Live, both from SoFi. The next day, First Take, SportsCenter, Super Bowl Live, and NFL Live all originated from the Disneyland Park set, building momentum toward the year ahead. Highlights of “The Handoff” included an opening piece that connected Super Bowl LX and LXI, following fans on a Pacific Coast journey from San Francisco to Los Angeles, visits to the Disneyland Park set from Super Bowl–winning quarterback Sam Darnold and Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III, the debut of new content celebrating the Super Bowl’s legacy including “60 Super Bowl Images In 60 Seconds”, and expanded presence across ABC programming — Good Morning America, World News Tonight, and Jimmy Kimmel Live! featuring Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald. This coordinated 24‑hour initiative marked the first chapter of a yearlong plan that unifies broadcast, storytelling, marketing, and fan experiences in the build toward 2027.
ESPN’s Yearlong Storytelling Initiative Takes Flight With 61 Super Bowl Stories
ESPN’s ambitious content slate is underway, designed to illuminate the people, plays, and moments that define the Super Bowl. The weekly series “I Scored A Touchdown” spotlights the stories of players who reached the end zone on the Super Bowl stage, offering powerful 1–2-minute features that will appear across ESPN shows and platforms. ESPN will showcase 61 players ahead of Super Bowl LXI with a new player unveiled mostly on a weekly basis over the next calendar year. New York Giants wide receiver David Tyree — the 159th player to score a touchdown in the Super Bowl — was the first story featured in the said series. Best known for his iconic helmet catch in Super Bowl XLII, the series highlights Tyree’s often‑overlooked touchdown earlier in the fourth quarter that gave the Giants a 10–7 lead. ESPN has also introduced a new weekly video podcast, “The Biggest Game” hosted by Emmy-winning reporter Jeremy Schaap, which will feature a rotating lineup of distinguished guests. The series revisits six decades of unforgettable Super Bowl moments — from legendary quarterback performances and halftime spectacles to culture-shaping commercials and even the one year when the stadium lights famously went out. The premiere episode, featuring Chris Berman, who has covered 44 consecutive Super Bowls, is available now with new episodes to be released weekly around the NFL Draft.
What Fans Can Expect Next: A Year Of Signature Moments
As “The Year Of The Super Bowl” unfolds, ESPN and Disney will continue to release new stories, celebratory moments, and creative activations. Among what fans can expect are fresh narrative arcs and original content tied to key offseason moments; spotlight integrations at cornerstone league events including the NFL Draft, Monday Night Football games and more; expanded cross-company collaborations leveraging Disney’s characters, franchises, and platforms; new programming and fan experiences unveiled surrounding and during the 2026-27 NFL season; and content across every platform throughout the year. Together, these efforts ensure “The Year Of The Super Bowl” evolves — building energy, relevance, and cultural impact all the way to Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027.
Underway: “We’re Going” — A High-Velocity, Star-Powered Campaign
Debuted on the February 9, 2026 episode of Good Morning America, ESPN and Disney launched “We’re Going”, a high-energy, cameo-filled marketing spot for ESPN’s inaugural Super Bowl telecast. Drawing from nearly four decades of cultural history — dating back to the Super Bowl in 1987 — the spot reimagines the iconic “I’m Going to Disney World” Super Bowl tradition and brings together more than 60 Disney characters and major personalities from across the Disney universe — all heading to one destination: Super Bowl LXI. The spot sets an energetic tone for the year and signals how Disney and ESPN will merge tradition, storytelling, and spectacle on the road to 2027. Buzz Lightyear and Woody kick off the cascade of Disney appearances, setting the tone for a rapid-fire series of cameos that includes Darth Vader; Iron Man; Frozen’s Anna, Elsa, Sven, Olaf and Kristoff; Moana; Deadpool & Wolverine; Grogu; Stitch; The Muppets; Zootopia’s Judy Hopps & Nick Wilde; Bart Simpson; and R2 D2 and C-3PO, among many others. Maui from Moana appears in the final scene, transforming into an eagle as he joins Lightning McQueen and a host of Disney characters together on the road to Los Angeles. Also appearing in the spot are Joe Buck and Troy Aikman — who will call their seventh Super Bowl together in 2027 — as well as ESPN’s Jason Kelce, and Peyton and Eli Manning. The creative concept is more than 40 years in the making, drawing inspiration from the legendary “I’m going to Disney World” phrase famously declared by Super Bowl champions moments after winning America’s biggest game. The tradition began in 1987 when former New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms first delivered the now iconic line after being named Super Bowl XXI Most Valuable Player. Over the ensuing decades, the phrase became a defining element of Super Bowl celebrations — and now serves as the creative foundation for ESPN’s first Super Bowl marketing campaign. “Few phrases are as instantly recognizable in sports as ‘I’m going to Disney World’. This campaign brings together the scale of ESPN, the global power of Disney’s brands and characters, and the excitement of the Super Bowl to create a shared moment that signals just how big this milestone is for our company and fans,” said The Walt Disney Company Chief Marketing and Brand Officer Asad Ayaz. ESPN Executive Vice President of Creative Studio and Marketing Tina Thornton added, “‘We’re Going’ is just the beginning of a year-long adventure to our first Super Bowl. It sets the tone for how we’re approaching Super Bowl LXI — by bringing together the storytelling power of Disney with the scale, voice, and passion of ESPN. Together, it allows us to build momentum, create emotional connection, and bring fans with us every step of the way.” “We’re Going” was developed collectively by ESPN (ESPN’s internal creative agency across business units, ESPN Creative Studio, Marketing, Synergy), The Walt Disney Studios’ internal creative agency The Hive, TWDC Corporate Brand Management, Disney Entertainment Television, Industrial Light & Magic, Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Marvel Studios, and creative agency Arts & Letters. Fans can see the spot across both ESPN and Disney platforms.
Disney Advertising To Offer Premium Opportunities
Throughout “The Year Of The Super Bowl”, Disney Advertising will introduce a suite of premium opportunities for brand partners across ESPN, ABC, and Disney’s broader portfolio. Advertisers will gain access to innovative integrations, custom content solutions, live events, and first‑of‑its‑kind, cross‑platform visibility tied to the Super Bowl and the NFL’s biggest moments. With Disney’s tentpole live events serving as cultural touchpoints throughout the year, brands have an unprecedented opportunity to connect with fans across the full Disney ecosystem.
