Disney and NFL Go All-In Together at 2026 Upfront

Disney didn’t just show up to the upfronts Tuesday — it showed up with the NFL on its arm. The two powerhouses were practically inseparable at Disney’s 2026 presentation in New York City, and the chemistry made a lot of sense given what they’ve built together: an earlier-this-year deal that handed ESPN control of NFL Network and other league media assets, while giving the NFL a 10% stake in ESPN itself.

That partnership was all over the stage. ESPN’s Monday Night Football play-by-play voice Joe Buck walked out alongside NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, and the moment quickly became one of the event’s most talked-about bits. Buck leaned in and gave Goodell an exaggerated, full-on hug — mimicking the way college prospects embrace the commissioner after hearing their name called at the NFL Draft. “We can all dream,” Buck said. Goodell, clearly in on the joke, smiled and echoed it right back: “We can all dream.”

Schedule Sneak Peeks Ahead of Thursday’s Full Reveal

By arrangement with the league, upfront presenters who hold NFL rights are permitted to release select schedule details before the league’s official full reveal, which is set for Thursday. Disney used that window to drop two notable matchups.

The first Monday Night Football game of the season will kick off September 14 with the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Denver Broncos — a divisional rivalry that always draws. And for Week 9, the NFL goes global: the Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals will face off on November 9 in Madrid, Spain, continuing the league’s international expansion push.

A Stage Full of Super Bowl MVPs

The bigger flex of the afternoon was the Super Bowl. ABC will air Super Bowl LXI next February — its first time carrying the game in 20 years — and Disney made clear it intends to treat that like the television event of the decade. The game will also stream on ESPN and other Disney platforms.

To drive the point home, MNF studio analyst Jason Kelce — fresh off his playing career and already a fan favorite in the booth — was told the plan was to assemble the “greatest Super Bowl team ever.” He promptly walked off stage, then returned a minute later leading out a parade of Super Bowl MVPs who will all be part of Disney’s coverage: Steve Young, Emmett Smith, Nick Foles, and several more legends took the stage to a roaring crowd. Eli and Peyton Manning, who are already deeply embedded in the ESPN universe through their ManningCast and other ventures, also appeared to hype the broadcast.

Adding to the sheer scale of the moment: in 2027, ABC will air four of the biggest live events in television — the College Football Championship, the Grammy Awards, the Super Bowl, and the Oscars. Rita Ferro, Disney’s President of Global Advertising, made sure advertisers felt the weight of that. “You have the Grammys one Sunday and the Super Bowl on Valentine’s Day,” she said, letting that combination sink in.

Disney’s Football Footprint Is Getting Massive

Ferro, who was introduced on stage by Paul Anthony Kelly — star of the upcoming Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette — framed Disney’s sports position in stark terms for the room full of advertisers. “With the addition of the NFL Network and the Super Bowl, we expect to see a 55% increase in NFL impressions year over year,” she said. “And when you combine NFL and college football, Disney will deliver 40% of the football impressions this upcoming season. That puts us in a position that no one else can match.”

She also teased what else is coming across Disney’s broader slate — Ryan Murphy has a major announcement in the works, and there’s news coming around Dancing with the Stars as well. New Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro, who rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange earlier in the day to mark the occasion, set the tone at the top of the event before Ferro took the stage to drive it home.

For now, all eyes turn to Thursday, when the NFL drops its full schedule. But Disney already made sure everyone in that room knows exactly where to watch.