The Sunday NFL game broadcast between the Atlanta Falcons and the Jacksonville Jaguars features a Toy Story alternate-themed game and cast.
According to Awful Announcing, before that match, Gary Striewski and Randy Scott, the hosts of SportsCenter, dressed up as Buzz Lightyear and Sheriff Woody Pride for a feature on ridiculous sports incidents called “Sunday Funday”.
Gary Striewski and Randy Scott donned Buzz Lightyear and Sheriff Woody Pride costumes on SportsCenter. "They thought that just because they didn't animate us that we wouldn't get in on this." "We sure would have liked to, but we'll be the real deal Holyfield." pic.twitter.com/vjqPUp65Ap
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 1, 2023
On ESPN+ and Disney+, the “Toy Story Funday Football” broadcast will be streamed. The primary broadcast is also on ESPN+.
This is ESPN’s second animated alternate broadcast featuring Disney characters this year. The “NHL Big City Greens Classic” was broadcast in March during a match between the Washington Capitals and the New York Rangers.
ESPN has had success airing NFL games in alternative ways, such as the “ManningCast” during “Monday Night Football” and playoff games.
As per Yahoo Sports and The Canadian Press, the network’s vice president of programming, Tim Reed, also mentioned, “We looked at a lot of different concepts and then ultimately targeting ‘Toy Story’ because it resonates with older generations and kids together. It is also a way to promote and build awareness for the ESPN+ exclusive game,”
The players’ movements will be fully animated throughout the broadcast, keeping up with what is occurring on the field in real time.
This is accomplished using a player-tracking information system made possible by Beyond Sports and the NFL’s Next Gen Stats system.
Drew Gallagher, coordinating producer also mentioned, “When you’re doing a normal game, you’re documenting it. We’re kind of creating the storyline creating the game as we go here a little bit,”
“It has been a fun, imaginative experience producing this. We are kind of leaning into the cartoon logic of it all, like when the aliens come down from the sky and drop the ball at the line of scrimmage. That’s the fun kind of silliness that we’re leaning into.”
