ESPN and Sony's Beyond Sports Forge Expanded Agreement, Deepening ESPN's Commitment to Innovation and Audience Expansion with More Animated Telecasts

ESPN has expanded its agreement with Sony's Beyond Sports, further strengthening its commitment to innovation and the use of state-of-the-art technology to expand its audience. ESPN and Sony's Beyond Sports, along with Sony's Hawk-Eye Innovations technology, will continue to produce alternate telecasts going forward. These telecasts will utilize Disney's extensive portfolio of Intellectual Property to transform live gameplay into real-time animations, a concept first introduced to fans by ESPN in 2023.

With this new agreement, ESPN will produce animated telecasts for a NFL, NHL, NBA, and WNBA game across The Walt Disney Company and ESPN platforms during the 2025-26 season. More alternate telecasts are planned for the 2026-27 sports calendar year.

"At ESPN, innovation has always been a driver in serving sports fans, including reaching new audiences," said Kevin Lopes, Vice President, Sports Business Development & Innovation at ESPN. "The Beyond Sports team has helped fuel our animated alternate casts, along with our league partners, creating an entirely new way for fans to consume our content. We look forward to continuing to produce these unique experiences for fans both this year and in the years ahead."

"The addition of four new telecasts this season will bring our total with ESPN to nine - a reflection of how this partnership continues to grow year on year," said Sander J. Schouten, Managing Director & Co-Founder of Beyond Sports. "Enabled by our technology, together we're driving the evolution of fan engagement, creating new ways for fans to experience the game and redefining live sports storytelling."

ESPN, Disney, Sony's Beyond Sports, and multiple league partners have collaborated on several animated alternate presentations. This initiative began with the NHL Big City Greens Classic in 2023. Since then, the NFL has partnered on multiple Funday Football presentations, powered by the NFL's Next Gen Stats and utilizing Disney's Toy Story and Simpsons IP. The NBA has also joined in with Dunk the Halls, featuring Disney's popular characters, and a second NHL Big City Greens Classic in 2024.

Audience expansion is at the heart of animated alternate casts, designed to foster co-viewing and attract casual fans through innovative presentation and strategic distribution. ESPN research highlights that most children watch these telecasts with an adult, and non-sports fans contribute to a large portion of the social buzz. Leveraging Disney platforms like Disney+ for these altcasts has broadened the audience, driving growth. By prioritizing entertainment and beloved Disney IP, these broadcasts also educate viewers on game rules and terminology, helping to fuel fandom.

ESPN pioneered alternate telecasts, first offering fans a secondary option over 20 years ago. In the following decades, this approach became synonymous with the company, including its popular MegaCast presentation, which debuted in 2014 and has been and continues to be used for many championship and signature games. Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli, now in its fifth season, is another example of ESPN's innovation to better serve sports fans. Learn more on ESPN Front Row.