ESPN is launching its 12-month programming blitz, called "Year of the Super Bowl," leading up to the network's first-ever broadcast of the NFL championship next year.
Super Bowl 61 will take place from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Feb. 14, 2027, and is set to be broadcast by ABC and ESPN. It will be ABC's first Super Bowl telecast since 2006, when the network aired Super Bowl 40. The 2027 broadcast will be amplified by the Walt Disney Co., which owns both networks.
“With the full strength of The Walt Disney Company and in collaboration with the NFL, ESPN has embarked on a year-long Super Bowl celebration,” ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. “This fan-focused initiative unites our Company’s beloved brands with industry-leading storytelling and technology to showcase football’s greatest stories, heroes, and moments like never before. Across our platforms, screens, and parks, we’ll build momentum throughout the year toward Super Bowl LXI — a monumental event for sports fans everywhere and for ESPN.”
The network's content began immediately after the Seattle Seahawks' 29-13 destruction of the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 60 with the "The Handoff” initiative and "I scored a touchdown series” weekly series.
“I Scored a Touchdown” highlights 61 players who have scored a touchdown in the Super Bowl through one to two-minute features airing on the network's shows and platforms. New York Giants wide receiver David Tyree, most known for the helmet catch in Super Bowl 42 against the Patriots, and the 159th player to score a touchdown in the Super Bowl, was the first story featured.
ESPN also introduced a new weekly video podcast, “The Biggest Game,” hosted by reporter Jeremy Schaap, which will feature a rotating lineup of guests, with new episodes rolling out weekly around the NFL Draft.
ESPN said it will announce many related projects and specials over the coming months.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ESPN announces 12-month Super Bowl 61 programming blitz