The NFL returns to London this week, and there will be a special alternate broadcast for the Atlanta Falcons-Jacksonville Jaguars game on Disney+. The broadcast will have a “Toy Story” theme and will be played in Andy’s room, with each player having an animated representation of a traditional-looking field. The game will kick off at 9:30 a.m. ET from Wembley Stadium.
This is the second time in 2023 that Disney is providing an animated broadcast of a game on ESPN. Disney did an alternate broadcast of an NHL game last season featuring a Big City Greens theme.
Chris Fowler, Dan Orlovsky, Louis Riddick, and Laura Rutledge will be on the traditional broadcast on ESPN+.
From the current NFL standings to team depth charts to coverage of every game in the 18-week NFL schedule, we have all the news from around the league to keep you up to speed!
Who Are the Disney+ Announcers?
Drew Carter, Booger McFarland, and 12-year-old Pepper Persley will call the game on the first-ever Toy Story Funday Football. Each announcer will have an animated version of themselves on the broadcast.
Carter has been a play-by-play announcer for several sports at ESPN since 2021. He has also spent time as a college basketball studio host for halftime shows.
Persley, who turned 12 in March, has been a part of broadcasts for MLB and WNBA games. For the second straight year, she was part of the broadcast team that did ESPN’s KidsCast during an MLB game played at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA.
MORE: NFL Prime-Time Games 2023
McFarland is a name NFL fans are familiar with because of his nine seasons as a player and his time as an analyst on Monday Night Football. After being an All-American defensive tackle at LSU, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him 15th overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. McFarland is a two-time Super Bowl champ and recorded 22.5 sacks in his career.
What Will I See on the Broadcast?
Disney+ will show you an animated version of the game in real time that matches what is happening on the field in London. Disney will use tracking chips, players, and the ball to create the animation for each play. There will be demonstrations, including ‘how to’ videos and trivia will be used through the telecast to teach the basics of football to the audience.
Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Bo Peep, Jessie, Bullseye, Bunny, Ducky, and Forky, along with other characters from the animated franchise, will be visible during the game from the sidelines and in other non-gameplay elements. The halftime show will be a motorcycle jump by Duke Caboom.
This is Disney’s first attempt at providing an alternate NFL broadcast for kids. CBS and Nickelodeon have produced alternate broadcasts, including NFL Nickmas. There will be an alternate broadcast for kids of this season’s Super Bowl on Nickelodeon.
