Five things to know about Mike, Sulley and Monstropolis coming to ESPN’s Monday Night Football
ESPN, The Walt Disney Company, Pixar and the National Football League are teaming up to present Monsters Funday Football on Monday, Dec. 8 (8 p.m. ET), a real-time, animated Monday Night Football game, featuring the defending Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles at the Los Angeles Chargers, inside the iconic Monsters, Inc. building.
“Each iteration of Funday Football has pushed the boundary of what’s possible in sports technology. By blending real-time NFL data and tracking with cutting-edge animation, we’re transforming the way fans experience an NFL game,” said Michael “Spike” Szykowny, VP, Graphics Innovation. “Our continued innovation with partners like the NFL, Beyond Sports and Disney+ showcases how technology can turn a live game into a fully immersive world, giving fans an additional way to consume sports.”
Here are five things to know about Monsters Funday Football:
Mike, Sulley and the Monsters, Inc. crew join the game
Mike Wazowski and James P. “Sulley” Sullivan make their football debut, joining the Eagles and Chargers respectively as the action unfolds on the Cheer Floor — a reimagined version of the film’s iconic Scare Floor. The legendary Hollywood actors behind the characters return to voice Mike (Billy Crystal), Sulley (John Goodman) and Roz (Bob Peterson) through prerecorded lines.
Cutting-edge technology powers real-time animation
Every play comes to life through NFL Next Gen Stats player and ball tracking data combined with Sony’s Hawk-Eye Innovations optical tracking and Sony’s Beyond Sports visualization technology. The virtual recreation engine animates gameplay in real time, transforming live action from SoFi Stadium into an immersive animated experience within Monstropolis.
Expands to linear television with broader distribution
For the first time, Funday Football will be available on ESPN2, Disney Channel and Disney XD, expanding beyond its previous streaming-only distribution. The presentation will also be available on the new ESPN App (via ESPN DTC or pay TV authentication), Disney+ and NFL+. The traditional MNF telecast will remain on ESPN, ABC and ESPN Deportes, including distribution in more than 155 markets.
Action called using VR Technology from Inside Monstropolis
Play-by-play commentator Drew Carter, who has called every Funday Football edition and six total animated alternate telecasts across ESPN properties, teams with NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky for his second Funday Football broadcast. Using virtual reality technology and Sony’s Beyond Sports Virtual Commentator Technology, the duo will experience the game firsthand through VR headsets as animated versions of themselves inside the Monsters, Inc. world.
The traditional Monday Night Football telecast will feature Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters and Laura Rutledge.
Third consecutive year of Funday Football innovation
Monsters Funday Football follows the success of Toy Story Funday Football in 2023 and The Simpsons Funday Football in 2024. The inaugural Toy Story presentation earned three Sports Emmys, including Outstanding Production Design and George Wensel Technical Achievement, plus four US Festival Awards. The Simpsons edition received multiple Sports Emmy nominations and a SportsPro Media Award nomination for Best Branded Sports Content.
