The Walt Disney Company is going all-in on its first Super Bowl in nearly two decades — and it will produce different telecasts of the championship National Football League (NFL) game on its cable networks and streaming platforms.
Over the weekend, Disney-owned ESPN said it will produce a handful of alternate broadcasts of Super Bowl LXI next February, including a version of its famous “Manningcast” featuring brothers Peyton and Eli Manning that will air on ESPN 2.
Sports commentator Pat McAfee will host a separate “Field Pass” presentation on ESPN U, while NFL Network will carry a “Next en Stats” alternate broadcast featuring advanced statistical analysis and player-tracking graphics. The NextGen Stats broadcast will use the league’s player-tracking technology to provide real-time information and predictive analysis, including graphics displaying the probability of passing plays, defensive blitzes and potential receiving targets.
The NFL Network presentation will mark the first time the channel has televised a live Super Bowl in its 23-year history; the channel became part of ESPN earlier this year after the sports network purchased it and NFL RedZone through its acquisition of NFL Media.
The alternate telecasts will be perfected throughout the season, with ESPN offering nine NextGen Stats telecasts this year, starting Monday with the Buffalo Bills-Los Angeles Rams game. Additional telecasts will be announced later. McAfee’s Field Pass broadcasts will start next week when the San Francisco 49ers take on the Washington Commanders.
The NextGen Stats and Field Pass broadcasts will air when the Manningcast is scheduled to be on hiatus, ESPN said in a statement. ESPN has used both alternate formats during regular-season NFL broadcasts, although the Super Bowl will mark their first appearance during the league’s championship game.
In addition to the alternate telecasts, ESPN will produce Spanish-language coverage of Super Bowl LXI for ESPN Deportes in mid-February. Another broadcast will be produced by Televisa-Univision through a licensing arrangement with Disney and the NFL; that broadcast, scheduled to air on Univision, will feature a separate commentary and production team from the one used by ESPN Deportes. The game will not stream on Vix.
Free access to Super Bowl LXI will be available on local ABC broadcast stations and affiliates across the country, most of which are easily received by sports fans using a conventional, over-the-air antenna. The ABC broadcast will be identical to the one offered on ESPN’s main channel, which will be available on most cable, satellite and premium cable-like streaming platforms and via the ESPN Unlimited plan within the ESPN app.
All ESPN broadcasts will be available with ESPN Unlimited, which is sold on its own for $32 per month or as part of the Disney Plus bundle at a slightly higher cost. Another ESPN Unlimited plan bundles the network with Fox One for around $40 per month.
