Searches for “disney nfl” jumped, and the Monsters Inc. broadcast everyone is finding is from December 2025. ESPN has not announced one for this season.
Fans are searching for the Monsters Inc. Disney NFL broadcast that happened last year.
“Monsters Funday Football,” the animated alternate broadcast that put an NFL game inside the world of Monsters, Inc., aired on Dec. 8, 2025. It is not happening this week, and ESPN has not announced an animated NFL broadcast for the current season.
What was Monsters Funday Football?
An entire NFL game rebuilt in real time as a cartoon.
The Week 14 matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium played out live in Monstropolis, with animated versions of both teams mirroring the real action on the field.
Mike Wazowski, voiced again by Billy Crystal, suited up for the Eagles. Sulley, with John Goodman returning, played for the Chargers. Roz, voiced by Bob Peterson, handled sideline reporting, which is the single best casting decision in the history of sports broadcasting.
It aired at 8 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2, Disney+, the ESPN App and the NFL streaming hub.
How many of these has ESPN done?
Three so far.
“Toy Story Funday Football” came first in 2023, putting the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars in Andy’s room. “The Simpsons Funday Football” followed the next season, staging the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys at Springfield’s Atoms Stadium. Monsters Funday Football was the third.
There has also been a Disney-character NBA Christmas special using the same technology.
Is ESPN making more animated games?
Yes, though not one that has been announced yet.
ESPN extended its partnership with Beyond Sports, the company that builds these broadcasts, in October 2025. The deal runs through the 2026-27 sports calendar and covers the NFL, NBA, NHL and, for the first time, the WNBA.
That WNBA broadcast will be the first animated presentation of a professional women’s sports event. ESPN has not said which property it will use or when it will air.
What is actually on tonight and tomorrow?
Regular football. Week 2 wrapped Sunday, and Monday Night Football has the New York Giants at the Los Angeles Rams at 8:15 p.m. Eastern on ESPN and ABC.
No monsters, no toys, no Springfield.
Why does Disney make cartoon football games?
Because Disney owns ESPN, owns the characters, and has a technology partner that can render a live game as animation in real time.
The broadcasts are aimed squarely at families, and they work. A parent who wants to watch the game and a kid who does not care about football can watch the same screen. Each one has drawn a young audience well outside ESPN’s usual demographics.
They are also expensive and labor-intensive, which is why there is roughly one a season rather than one a month.
If ESPN follows its pattern, an announcement for this season’s animated game would land a few weeks ahead of the broadcast rather than months. The Monsters game was announced in November for a December air date.
Anyone searching for it right now is early.
Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
ESPN (Dec. 5, 2025), the Monsters Funday Football broadcast details, voice cast and viewing options
Awful Announcing (Oct. 28, 2025), the Beyond Sports partnership extension and the WNBA addition
Google Trends (Sept. 20, 2026), the rising search data for Disney NFL queries
AI Disclosure: All articles are assigned, edited and reviewed by an experienced human editor before posting. Like most modern newsrooms, WebReef Media uses a variety of AI tools to help with accuracy and efficiency. Ways AI may be used in article creation include research, grammar, fact-checking and ideation, as well as occasional AI generated or enhanced thumbnails or graphics. No articles are generated or posted without human oversight or involvement.