Star Wars Funday Football will turn Super Bowl LXI into a live animated game set across the Star Wars galaxy on Sunday, February 14, 2027.
The alternate telecast will stream on Disney+ and the ESPN App and air on Disney Channel and Disney XD. Anthony Daniels, who first played C-3PO in the original 1977 film, will return to voice the protocol droid.
Every play becomes Star Wars animation in real time
ESPN says animated versions of the AFC and NFC champions will run each play while Star Wars characters enter during key moments. C-3PO, R2-D2 and stormtroopers appear in the first promotional image.
Sony’s Beyond Sports will combine NFL Next Gen Stats with Hawk-Eye optical tracking to transform the live game into animation. ESPN has not announced the telecast’s commentators, settings or full character lineup.
Star Wars football segments begin October 20
ESPN’s SC+ show on Disney+ will begin running Star Wars “Hyperspace Highlights” from Monday Night Football on October 20. Starting October 26, its Monday episodes will also feature an animated Darth Vader interviewing a player from that night’s game.
Star Wars Funday Football is a separate presentation from the traditional Super Bowl telecast and the previously announced Pat McAfee Field Pass and Next Gen Stats alternatives.
Source: ESPN’s October 19 announcement