To the endzone and beyond: NFL game going animated with ‘Toy Story Funday Football’
Written by ABC AUDIO ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on September 12, 2023
In a first-of-its-kind event, the October 1 National Football League game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Atlanta Falcons will be adapted in real-time as a fully animated contest taking place in the Toy Story universe.
Billed as Toy Story Funday Football, The NFL’s Next Gen Stats Player tracking data will enable a virtual recreation of the game, bringing every player and every play into the Toy Story Universe in real-time, presented in “Andy’s Room,” the familiar, brightly colored setting for the beloved Disney/Pixar Toy Story franchise.
Woody, Buzz Lightyear and many of the characters from the acclaimed animated series will be visible throughout, but they won’t be suiting up on the field.
“In addition to the gameplay, all the surrounding aspects of the game – announcers, graphics, scoreboard, penalty announcements, celebrations, and more – will all embrace the Toy Story-themed offering in their packaging and delivery, all occurring in Andy’s room,” producers tease.
The announcement continues, “Fans will view every run, pass, score and all football-related action through state-of-the-art tracking technology enabled by the NFL’s Next Gen Stats player tracking data and Beyond Sports.”
The game will stream on Disney+ and ESPN+ at 9:30 a.m. ET — the early start is because it’s part of the NFL’s annual series of international games, taking place at London’s Wembley Stadium. The Falcons-Jaguars game will also stream on NFL+.
If animation isn’t your thing, the traditional presentation of the match-up will appear on ESPN+, local broadcast stations in the markets of the participating teams, and on mobile with NFL+.
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