Bart Vs Homer: NFL Launches Animated ‘Simpsons’ Simulcast of Bengals-Cowboys
Zinger Key Points
The National Football League is bringing a new animated special featuring *The Simpsons* to Springfield.
This alternate broadcast aims to increase overall viewership for Monday Night Football and attract new fans.
The NFL is collaborating with one of the longest-running TV shows to offer viewers a unique simulcast of an upcoming game, expanding the league’s efforts with alternative broadcasts.
What Happened
The NFL will present The Simpsons Funday Football on December 9, available on Disney+ and ESPN+, providing fans with a different perspective on an NFL game, featuring characters from the beloved animated series.
The Walt Disney Company will broadcast this special live, showcasing the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys as part of its Monday Night Football coverage.
The simulcast will air in real-time, transforming players into animated characters set in the fictional town of Springfield, using Sony’s Beyond Sports Technology.
Springfield’s Atoms Stadium will be the backdrop, with well-known characters from the show making appearances. Bart Simpson will support the Bengals, while Homer Simpson cheers for the Cowboys. Occasionally, Bart or Homer will appear as if they are playing on the field.
Marge and Lisa Simpson will interview players during the game, and other Simpsons characters will also appear, as noted in a press release. The original voice actors will lend their voices for this simulcast.
For those preferring traditional broadcasts, Monday Night Football will still air on ESPN, ESPN+, and ABC, with an alternate version featuring Peyton and Eli Manning available on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
All broadcasts will begin at 8 p.m. ET on December 9, and the special streaming version will be accessible in over 100 international markets, both live and via replay.
Why It’s Important
Since its debut in 1989, The Simpsons has become the longest-running primetime scripted series, familiar to many generations of viewers.
Last year, Disney collaborated with the NFL for a Funday Football event that featured teams in the world of Toy Story.
This year’s simulcast could attract new fans to the NFL while allowing Disney to benefit from multiple game broadcasts across its networks and streaming services.
Currently, the Bengals (3-5) and Cowboys (3-4) have not met expectations in the 2024 NFL season, but there’s still time for both teams to improve their records before the alternate broadcast.
The Cowboys continue to be one of the most popular teams in the NFL, historically known as “America’s Team.”
A recent Sunday Night Football matchup on NBC and Peacock between the Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers attracted an average viewership of 23.9 million, representing a 43% increase year-over-year. The game peaked at 26.4 million viewers, making it the most-watched Week 8 NFL game ever. Comcast Corporation is experiencing robust viewership for Sunday Night Football, with its highest weekly average of 22.4 million since 2015.
DIS Price Action
On Wednesday, Disney stock was trading at $95.98, within a 52-week range of $80.18 to $123.74, and has risen 5.7% year-to-date in 2024.
