Overview
- The new ESPN spot, released Thursday as the NFL Draft opens in Pittsburgh, shows Roger Goodell spoofing a pick to “select” ESPN for Super Bowl LXI and telling the network it is on the clock.
- ESPN leans on star hosts such as Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Scott Van Pelt, Stephen A. Smith, and Mike Greenberg, with cameos from Disney characters like Buzz Lightyear and Iron Man plus ESPN’s App-E mascot.
- ABC and ESPN will carry Super Bowl LXI from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on Sunday, February 14, 2027, with a Peyton and Eli Manning “ManningCast” option on ESPN2 and a wider viewing window before Presidents’ Day.
- The push follows a February deal that gave the NFL a reported 10% stake in ESPN and folded NFL Network and NFL RedZone into ESPN operations, tightening league ties to the broadcast.
- Disney is asking about $10 million for a 30‑second ad in the 2027 game, according to people familiar, while some buyers wait to see if prices ease in a marketplace that has yielded past Super Bowl hauls like Fox’s reported $800 million.