Disney’s iconic characters pair with NFL teams in a first-of-its-kind live reveal, hosted by Commissioner Roger Goodell—marking the next milestone in Disney and ESPN’s “Year of the Super Bowl.”
Ahead of ESPN’s first ever Super Bowl season, Disney and Champion unveiled the Disney | Champion NFL Collection, a landmark apparel collaboration pairing all 32 NFL teams with iconic Disney, Marvel, Star Wars™ and Pixar characters through creative matchups inspired by team identity, fan culture and the storytelling power of sport.
“The Disney Fan Draft demonstrated how powerful the combination of sports, storytelling and fan passion can be,” said Paul Gitter, EVP of Global Commercialization, Disney Consumer Products, “The Disney | Champion NFL Collection represents an important milestone in a broader effort to deepen fan engagement that will continue to unfold through new products, experiences and consumer touchpoints throughout the ‘Year of the Super Bowl.’”
“In today’s culture, style is an expression of fandom,” said NFL Senior Vice President of Consumer Products and Licensing Casey Collins. “Bringing together the powerful branding of NFL teams and Disney characters reflects our commitment to living at the intersection of sports and fashion. We are excited to take this collection to market.”
The Disney | Champion NFL Collection debuted at Fanatics Fest NYC with early access to merchandise featuring the eight team-character pairings, including the Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots, New York Giants, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Washington Commanders.
“There’s no better place to unveil something like the Disney | Champion NFL Collection than at Fanatics Fest NYC in front of the most passionate fans in sports.” Said Lance Fensterman, CEO of Fanatics Events. “Today’s live draft, featuring these iconic brands and pairing Disney’s characters alongside many of the biggest names in sports and entertainment is exactly the kind of moment that only Fanatics Fest can deliver.”
The initiative was unveiled through the Disney Fan Draft, a live one-of-one moment at Fanatics Fest NYC that reimagined the NFL Draft through an unmistakable Disney lens. Hosted by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and sports journalist and broadcaster Taylor Rooks, the program featured appearances from Emmitt Smith, Fernando Mendoza, Rob Gronkowski, and Tom Brady, alongside CJ Mosley, Hakeem Niks and Mario Manningham, as well as WWE Superstar Alexa Bliss. Together with Disney, Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar characters, talent revealed team pairings that reflect the spirit, personality and passion of NFL fandom – transforming a product debut into a culture-driving moment.
COLLECTION DETAILS
Spanning tees, crewnecks, and sweatshirts, the Disney | Champion NFL Collection will ultimately represent all 32 NFL teams. The first eight team-character matchups feature fan-favorite characters from Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel, and include:
- Buffalo Bills’ Fan Draft pick is Disney’s Beast!
- Dallas Cowboys’ Fan Draft pick is Disney and Pixar’s Woody!
- Las Vegas Raiders’ Fan Draft pick is Star Wars’ Darth Vader!
- New England Patriots’ Fan Draft pick is Marvel’s Captain America!
- New York Giants’ Fan Draft pick is Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph!
- New York Jets’ Fan Draft pick is Disney and Pixar’s Buzz Lightyear!
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Fan Draft pick is Disney’s Captain Hook!
- Washington Commanders’ Fan Draft pick is Disney and Pixar’s Hamm!
COLLECTION AVAILABILITY
Throughout the weekend, fans attending Fanatics Fest NYC can shop the first eight product pairings in the Disney | Champion Fan Zone, a dedicated destination featuring merchandise, photo moments and Disney character appearances tied to the launch.
The remaining team-character matchups will be revealed in August, with merchandise for all 32 teams becoming available on Fanatics.com, NFLShop.com, DisneyStore.com, and select Lids Locations Nationwide.
Fans can join a waitlist to receive updates on their favorite team here.
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
The Disney Fan Draft featured surprise on-stage pairings and reveals, including:
- Emmitt Smith revealing the Dallas Cowboys matchup
- Tom Brady and Fernando Mendoza unveiling the Las Vegas Raiders pairing
- Megan Keller taking the stage to reveal the New England Patriots Fan Draft selection
- Rob Gronkowski delivering a high-energy on-stage moment tied to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Dion Dawkins participating in a fan-first reveal moment highlighting Bills fandom
- Additional appearances from CJ Mosley, Hakeem Niks and Mario Manningham, and more alongside Disney characters
In support of ESPN’s Take Back Sports initiative, Disney made a donation to the Madison Square Boys & Girls Clubs of NYC, and local youth from the club attended the Disney Fan Draft. Powered by ESPN and Disney, the program is designed to make youth sports more accessible, welcoming and fun. Participants experienced the reveal firsthand alongside athletes, creators and Disney characters.
MORE TO COME FOR NFL AND DISNEY FANS
The Disney | Champion NFL Collection marks the first chapter of a broader collaboration between Disney, the NFL, Champion and Fanatics – bringing together four cultural forces across sport, storytelling, apparel and fandom.
The launch also represents another exciting moment in Disney and ESPN’s “Year of the Super Bowl,” a yearlong celebration building toward ESPN’s first Super Bowl production in February.
ABOUT TAKE BACK SPORTS:
Take Back Sports is a youth sports initiative led by ESPN and powered by Disney, designed to get and keep kids playing sports. With only 38% of kids playing sports on a regular basis, ESPN and The Walt Disney Company are helping parents, coaches and caring adults take back sports and make it fun again. Together with its league, business and community partners, Take Back Sports is working to make the youth sports system more accessible so that kids across the country have the opportunity to play sports.
ABOUT DISNEY CONSUMER PRODUCTS:
Disney Consumer Products (DCP) is the division of Disney Experiences that brings beloved brands and franchises into the daily lives of families and fans through products – from toys to t‑shirts, apps, books, console games and more – and experiences that can be found around the world, including on the Disney Store e‑commerce platform and at Disney Parks, local and international retailers, as well as Disney store locations globally. The business is home to world‑class teams of product, licensing and retail experts, artists and storytellers, and technologists who inspire imaginations around the world.
ABOUT CHAMPION:
Since 1919, Champion has offered a full line of innovative athletic apparel for men and women, including activewear, sweats, tees, sports bras, team uniforms, footwear and accessories. Today, as a lifestyle brand born from sport, Champion uses innovative design and state-of-the-art product testing to ensure uncompromised quality and innovative apparel for consumers. Beyond its products, the brand’s mission is to provide every Champion a canvas to live their true purpose; rooted in the belief that Champions are defined not by what they make, but by what they do with it. Champion wants to inspire others to not just win, but to Champion a better tomorrow, and is dedicated to supporting creators by giving them a platform to tell their stories, support their values, and communities.
ABOUT FANATICS:
Fanatics is a leading global digital sports platform redefining how fans connect with the teams, players, and moments they love. Our businesses – Fanatics Commerce, Fanatics Collectibles, Fanatics Gaming, Fanatics Fest, Fanatics Markets, Fanatics Advertising, Fanatics Credit Card and Fanatics Studios – maximize the presence and reach for hundreds of partners globally and create a one-stop experience that allows fans around the world to buy, wager, collect and engage with their favorite sports in deeper, more immersive ways. This includes licensed fan gear and lifestyle products, sportsbook, iGaming and prediction market platforms, physical and digital trading cards, live events, premium sports entertainment content, and more. Together, they form a powerful, integrated ecosystem delivering personalized experiences to over 100 million fans worldwide. Fanatics holds partnerships with over 900 sports properties, from professional leagues and players’ associations to teams, colleges, and retail partners; over 6,000 athletes and celebrities; and over 2,000 retail locations, including all Lids retail stores. Backed by a team of more than 22,000 employees, Fanatics is committed to relentlessly enhancing the fan experience.
STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. © & TM Lucasfilm Ltd.