'Star Wars' Comes to 2027 Super Bowl With Animated 'Alterna-Cast'

Key Points:

• Disney will feature C-3PO from "Star Wars" as a guide in an animated, real-time telecast of Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027, airing across Disney+, Disney Channel, Disney XD, and the ESPN App.
• The "Star Wars Funday Football" broadcast will transform players into animated avatars and incorporate characters and references from the franchise, using NFL Next Gen Stats and Sony’s Hawk-Eye Innovations for live gameplay animation.
• Disney plans multiple Super Bowl telecasts on ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPNU, and NFL Network, including commentary-driven, statistics-focused, and Spanish-language versions, with hosts like Pat McAfee and the Manning brothers involved.
• The Super Bowl "mega cast" concept has been in development since Disney's 2021 rights deal with the NFL, which included the league acquiring a 10% stake in ESPN and bringing NFL Network and NFL RedZone under ESPN's umbrella.
• Following the Super Bowl coverage, Lucasfilm will celebrate 50 years of "Star Wars" by releasing a restored version of the original 1977 movie in theaters starting February 19, 2027.