ESPN has begun shaping its first Super Bowl presentation more than a year before kickoff. Front Office Sports reported that the network and its parent company, Disney, are considering several non-traditional broadcasts around Super Bowl 61.
Those discussions point to how the championship could look different when it arrives at SoFi Stadium in 2027. Let’s unpack the latest developments.
ESPN’s Exploring ManningCast, Pat McAfee Field Pass, and Disney KidsCast for Super Bowl 61
Front Office Sports detailed that ESPN will simulcast the game on ABC and the main ESPN network with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman in the booth. Veteran reporters Lisa Salters and Laura Rutledge will work the sidelines.
Beyond that primary feed, the network is preparing a collection of alternate streams similar to the MegaCast model used during the College Football Playoffs.
A Super Bowl edition of the ManningCast on ESPN2 is part of the early framework. Peyton and Eli Manning’s Omaha Productions would deliver its conversational format with guests and live reactions.
Eli Manning told Front Office Sports that securing guests for a Super Bowl broadcast poses a unique challenge due to the scale of the event and the competing demands on high-profile figures.
Another idea gaining momentum is a Super Bowl Field Pass with The Pat McAfee Show. The concept would follow the structure McAfee used during the College Football Playoff. His alt-cast drew 2.4 million viewers for the Rose Bowl quarterfinal, the most-watched alternate broadcast across any sport. The report noted that rights approvals could complicate the proposal. ESPN declined to comment on specific McAfee plans.
In reaction to the news, McAfee posted on X, “Source(s) tell me that the rights hurdle is very hurdle-able. Would be absolutely bonkers. #FOOTBALL.” McAfee seemed confident that a Field Pass presentation could be cleared for the 2027 game.
BREAKING: Source(s) tell me that the rights hurdle is very hurdle-able
Would be absolutely bonkers#FOOTBALL pic.twitter.com/HkNZIKrZr4
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 11, 2026
Disney is also examining an animated KidsCast aimed at younger viewers. Front Office Sports reported the feed could draw from Disney intellectual property such as Star Wars, Family Guy, The Simpsons, or Cars. Similar to ESPN’s earlier Simpsons Funday Football and Monsters Funday Football broadcasts.
ESPN is going all out with its first-ever Super Bowl. In addition, the programming plan extends beyond the game itself. ESPN is launching a weekly series highlighting 61 players from Super Bowl history, a video podcast hosted by long-time reporter Jeremy Schaap, and cross-promotion through Disney Parks and ABC Entertainment. The initiative has been branded the “Year of the Super Bowl.”
ESPN returns to the Super Bowl rotation after a 20-year absence with this project. ABC last carried the game in 2006, and the 2027 matchup represents the first championship produced under ESPN leadership.
