Bart Joins the Bengals, Homer Teams Up with the Cowboys in Live Animated Presentation of Monday
Night Football
The Simpsons Funday Football Complements Traditional MNF Game Presentation on ESPN, ABC, ESPN+, and ESPN Deportes
NFL’s Next Gen Stats Player Tracking Data Combined with Sony’s Beyond Sports and Hawk-Eye Innovation Enables Virtual
Re-Creation of the Game
Classic Simpsons Characters with Original Voice Actors in Unique Bits and Skits Created by Simpsons Team in Conjunction with ESPN and NFL
Atoms Stadium in Springfield Hosts the Game, Headlining a Bevy of Show’s Iconic References
Created in Collaboration with The Simpsons Creators, Disney, ESPN and the NFL
Download Assets: https://bit.ly/48qo86M
View Video: https://bit.ly/4fjFN2g
ESPN, Disney, the Simpsons and the National Football League will premiere The Simpsons Funday Football on Monday, Dec. 9, an animated Monday Night Football game transformed in real-time into the iconic Simpsons world using Sony’s Beyond Sports Technology. Atoms Stadium in Springfield will host the fully immersive fan viewing experience featuring the Cincinnati Bengals at the Dallas Cowboys, ESPN’s Monday Night Football game that evening.
The Simpsons Funday Football alternate viewing presentation will stream on Disney+ and ESPN+, and, on mobile, with NFL+. The traditional Monday Night Football telecast will be available on ESPN, ABC and ESPN Deportes with Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli on ESPN2. Both the traditional telecast and Peyton and Eli will also be on ESPN+, making each distinct presentation available in the ESPN App. All telecasts will begin at 8 p.m. ET.
Internationally, the special presentation will be available on linear or streaming in more than 145 markets live and/or via replay. Among those, all Latin America including Mexico and Brazil, the Caribbean, Australia & New Zealand, Netherlands, Sub-Saharan Africa and Canada (TSN). Video on Demand will also be available 12 hours after the live broadcast ends in these and other markets.
The legendary Simpsons creators have collaborated on the look, sound and feel with ESPN and the NFL to ensure the authenticity of the longest running primetime scripted series with more than 750 episodes.
This is the second consecutive year ESPN, Disney and the NFL have presented a Funday Football telecast.
State-of-the-Art Technology: The Simpsons Funday Football Features Every Play of Bengals-Cowboys Game
Each Bengals and Cowboys player will appear as a motion-enabled, animated player for the special primetime matchup. Through state-of-the-art tracking technology enabled by NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Sony’s Beyond Sports, combined with Sony’s Hawk-Eye Innovations’ optical tracking, fans enjoying The Simpsons Funday Football will see every snap, run, pass, score and more from the real-life Bengals and Cowboys matchup at AT&T Stadium as it happens.
Sony’s Beyond Sports makes it possible to combine two data sources, analyze, validate, enhance, translate to a 3D environment and stream to a desired platform in real-time and Sony’s Hawk-Eye Innovations’ optical tracking creates dynamic player and character movement including detailed limb movement and mannerisms.
Bart and the Bengals, Homer and the Cowboys Headline Presentation with Classic Simpson Characters and Humor
With Springfield’s Atoms Stadium as the setting, The Simpsons Funday Football will be a true family affair as Bart Simpson sides with Joe Burrow and the Bengals while Homer aligns with Dak Prescott and the Cowboys. For most of the game, Bart and Homer will let their new Bengals and Cowboys teammates manage the action, but the iconic father and son duo won’t sit on the sidelines for the entire game. Each will select key opportunities to play offense and/or defense, replacing a player and joining his other 10 teammates on the field.
Surrounding the gameplay, Marge and Lisa will interview players during the game and Maggie will fly the SkyCam, while popular characters, show references and aesthetics will bring a real Sunday-night-with-the-Simpsons feel to Monday Night Football.
•A Myriad of Simpsons Characters: The telecast will feature dozens the show’s iconic characters, with each character playing into their well-known persona.
•Authentic Simpsons Voices: Hank Azaria, Nancy Cartwright, Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner and Yeardley Smith will voice several of their characters in prerecorded bits and skits.
•Picking Sides: Homer and Bart will rally their supporters who will join them on their respective sidelines throughout the matchup. Lisa, Krusty, Nelson, Milhouse and Ralph will be with Bart (Bengals); while Carl, Barney, Lenny and Moe will be with Homer (Cowboys).
•Custom Simpsons Scenes and Writing: Outside of the live game, Simpsons producers have written original content for the telecast that will be utilized before, during and after the game.
•The Simpsons Music: The timeless theme song and more jingles from the show will be employed.
•The Simpsons and ESPN: Animated segments incorporating Stephen A. Smith, Peyton and Eli Manning and more will appear in the telecast, with their segments written by the Simpsons creators.
•Bengals and Cowboys Players: Players from both teams will have pre-recorded segments which include interactions with Simpsons characters.
ESPN’s In-House NFL Personalities, Simpsons Fans to Call the Action
The Simpsons Funday Football will have its own animated commentators, as ESPN’s Simpsons enthusiasts Mina Kimes and Dan Orlovsky will provide football strategy discussion with Drew Carter calling the game action. Kimes, Orlovsky and Carter will be animated in the style of the Simpsons and don ESPN Edge Innovation Partner’s Meta Quest Pro headsets to experience the game from Springfield thanks to VR technology and Sony’s Beyond Sports’ Virtual Commentator Technology.
ESPN’s First Funday Football Received Numerous Sports Emmys, Record Disney+ Viewership
The second edition of Funday Football follows ESPN’s Toy Story Funday Football in October 2023, also presented by Disney, ESPN and the NFL, and utilized NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Sony’s Beyond Sports’ Technology and Hawk-Eye Innovation’s skeletal data. The first-of-its-kind presentation for the NFL won three Sports Emmys – Outstanding Production Design, George Wensel Technical Achievement and Outstanding Graphic Design – and was recognized with four additional US Festival Awards. The creative endeavor was ESPN’s first fully animated NFL telecast, delivering the biggest live event to-date on Disney+ (based on peak concurrency). More on ESPN’s unmatched alternate telecast history is available here.
Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters on the Traditional Call of Monday Night Football
ESPN’s Monday Night Football traditional telecast will have Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Lisa Salters on the call, live from AT&T Stadium. Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli will primarily focus on the traditional presentation while also periodically checking in on The Simpsons Funday Football.
The Simpsons + Disney
The iconic Simpsons franchise joined the Disney family during the 20th Century Fox acquisition. Disney+ is the streaming home of The Simpsons, with 35 seasons and over 750 episodes.
Instagram: @DisneyPlus
Facebook: @DisneyPlus
TikTok: @DisneyPlus
X: @DisneyPlus
Hashtag: #DisneyPlus
ABOUT THE SIMPSONS
From Creator Matt Groening and Developed by James L. Brooks and Sam Simon the longest-running primetime scripted show in television history, THE SIMPSONS exploded into a cultural phenomenon in 1990 and has remained one of the most groundbreaking and innovative entertainment franchises, recognizable throughout the world. Currently in production on their record-annihilating 36th season, THE SIMPSONS has won 37 Emmy Awards, 35 Annie Awards, 9 Environmental Media Awards, 7 People’s Choice Awards and 14 Writers Guild of America Awards. THE SIMPSONS was the first animated series to win a Peabody Award, and in 2019 received the Institutional Peabody Award. It was nominated for an Academy Award in 2012 for the theatrical short "The Longest Daycare." This was followed by the theatrical short “Playdate with Destiny” (2020) and the Disney+ exclusive “The Force Awakens From Its Nap”(2021). In 2022, The Simpsons were the recipients of a Clio Award for their Balenciaga campaign. The Simpsons Movie was a hit feature film, their mega-attraction The Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios has received historic expansion updates with the addition of 'Springfield’—winning a Thea Award in both 2009 and 2017. The show was honored with a Star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2000. The Simpsons ongoing Tapped Out mobile game which launched in 2012 was a recipient of a Webby Award in 2018. It has been named the “Best Show of the 20th Century” by Time Magazine, called the "Greatest American Sitcom" by Entertainment Weekly in 2013, and declared "The Best TV Show Ever" in 2016 by vulture.com.
THE SIMPSONS is a Gracie Films Production in Association with 20th Television Animation. Created by Matt Groening, Developed by James L. Brooks, Matt Groening and Sam Simon. The Simpsons Executive Producers are James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, Matt Selman and Al Jean. The Gracie Films Worldwide Brand Division develops and produces the licensed content for the series. “Like” the series on Facebook at facebook.com/TheSimpsons, follow Homer Simpson @HomerJSimpson and @TheSimpsons on Twitter http://twitter.com/TheSimpsons. Join the conversation using #thesimpsons and follow The Simpsons on Instagram @TheSimpsons. Watch The Simpsons Sunday nights at 8pm ET/PT on FOX.
ABOUT DISNEY+
Disney+ is the dedicated streaming home for movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, along with The Simpsons and much more. In select international markets, it also includes the general entertainment content brand, Star, and in the U.S., Disney Bundle subscribers can also access extensive Hulu content, including next day TV and Hulu Original titles, on Disney+. The flagship direct-to-consumer streaming service from Disney, Disney+ offers an ever-growing collection of exclusive originals, including feature-length films, documentaries, live-action and animated series, and short-form content. With unprecedented access to Disney’s long history of incredible film and television entertainment, Disney+ is also the exclusive streaming home for the newest releases from The Walt Disney Studios. Disney+ is available as a standalone streaming service or as part of bundled offerings, including Disney Bundle plans in the U.S. that give subscribers access to Disney+ and Hulu or Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. For more, visit disneyplus.com, or find the Disney+ app on most mobile and connected TV devices.
ABOUT ESPN+
ESPN+ is the No. 1 sports streaming platform, serving fans in the U.S. with exclusive access to more than 32,000 live sports events each year, an unmatched library of on-demand replays and acclaimed original content, and premium written articles by the top reporters and analysts from ESPN.com.
MEDIA CONTACTS
ESPN+ Media Relations
Derek Volner
Kevin Ota
Disney+ Media Relations
Nicolette Hamm