Disney and ESPN announced today that they will partner with the NFL to stream Super Bowl LXI on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2027. Thankfully, this isn’t an exclusivity deal, and the big game will also be available on Disney-owned ESPN and ABC as part of this first-ever ESPN-produced Super Bowl. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will commentate the broadcast with Liza Salters and Laura Rutledge as sideline reporters.
In keeping with the NFL’s recent push for viewership outside the United States, Disney Plus will stream the Super Bowl in over 55 international markets. This year, NFL games are being held in Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, the U.K., and Mexico. Disney will stream the Super Bowl in several of those countries, including Australia and Brazil.
Over the last few years, streamers have been vying for sports streaming rights, an area that remains one of cable’s biggest selling points. Disney Plus is joining the trend, with its first three football games streaming this year. In addition to the Super Bowl, Disney Plus has nabbed two Monday Night Football games, which will also air on ESPN and ABC.
The first matchup is between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 26. The two teams are NFC East division rivals that are both currently 2-2, meaning the game could have significant ramifications for who wins the NFC East division (the top team in each division earns a playoff spot, while other teams have to compete for a Wild Card position). Disney Plus hasn’t announced its second game yet.
In recent years, Prime Video, Netflix, and Peacock have all streamed NFL games. Prime Video is exclusively streaming most of this year’s Thursday Night Football games, Peacock is streaming numerous games, including an exclusive Week 17 matchup, and Netflix has five games, such as the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears Christmas matchup. Competition between streaming services and TV has made sports viewership increasingly complicated, with pundits and regular fans alike dissatisfied that they sometimes have toown multiple streamer subscriptions and cable to get the full experience.
For instance, most fans can now only watch Thursday Night Football on Prime Video. At least the Super Bowl will still be available on cable in addition to Disney Plus. According to Ampere Analysis, streaming services are expected to spend $14.2 billion on sports rights in 2026, a 7% increase from last year.
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