Character-centric altcasts of pro sports events have become regular occurrences over the past five years, with three of the four of the biggest U.S. pro sports leagues; studios including Disney, Nickelodeon, and Warner Bros.; and networks including ESPN, TNT, and CBS all involved.
These alternative viewing feeds are real-time simulcasts of pro sports games in which animated versions of pro players and sportscasters interact with the studios’ characters, overlayed on the actual game. Technologies including augmented reality and extended reality, among others, are used to insert the characters and other entertainment icons throughout the action, adding an element of hijinks, humor, and fun, all while introducing viewers to and teaching them about the game. The altcasts are aimed at kids and families who may not be familiar with the sport but are enticed by the characters to give it a try.
Here are some examples:
- Last week, ESPN, the National Hockey League, and Disney announced the Inside Out Classic, an altcast scheduled for April 5 in conjunction with a game between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers. The virtually created real-time animation of the action on the ice, with players taking the form of Inside Out characters, will air on a variety of traditional and streaming channels, including ESPN+, Disney+, Disney Channel, and Disney XD. Disney has a deal in place with ESPN and Sony’s Beyond Sports, which was renewed in 2025, to produce altcasts across the studio’s portfolio of characters and across ESPN’s sports broadcasts, making it the dominant entertainment player in the segment. Its first effort, also with the NHL, aired in early 2023 with the NHL Big City Greens Classic, also an altcast of a Capitals-Rangers game, this one tied to the Disney Channel show Big City Greens.
- Disney/Pixar and ESPN paired with the National Football League for a Monsters Funday Football broadcast involving a Monday Night Football game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Philadelphia Eagles, featuring the world of Monsters, Inc., in December 2025. It aired on Disney and ESPN streaming and traditional channels in the U.S. and abroad. This was the third year in a row that the three have offered a Funday Football altcast during the season. Other productions starred The Simpsons and the characters of Toy Story.
- Also in December 2025, Disney and ESPN paired with the National Basketball Association for the second edition of Dunk The Halls, a Christmas Day altcast featuring classic Disney characters including Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck, and Goofy, who suited up for the game; Daisy Duck as a sideline reporter; and other characters as fans. Stitch was also a first-time altcast participant in this edition. Short segments explaining basketball fundamentals were part of the production.
- The NFL, CBS Sports, and Nickelodeon partnered for NFL Wild Card Game Live From Bikini Bottom, featuring SpongeBob and Patrick as part of the announcing team, not to mention slime on the field, during a January 2025 playoff game between the Chargers and Houston Texans. There were also appearances from across the Nickelodeon universe, including CatDog, The Fairly OddParents, Hey Arnold!, The Loud House, Rugrats, Sonic the Hedgehog, The Tiny Chef Show, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Transformers, and more. This marked the sixth time the three corporations had come together for an altcast since 2021, with technology improving with each iteration. Their Super Bowl LVIII Live From Bikini Bottom in 2024, the first-ever Super Bowl altcast, won a Sports Emmy.
- Warner Bros. Games, TNT Sports, and the NHL paired in 2024 for the MultiVersus NHL Face-Off, an altcast of a game between the Colorado Avalanche and Las Vegas Golden Knights featuring Warner Bros., DC Comics, and Cartoon Network characters such as Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman; Bugs Bunny and the Tasmanian Devil; Scooby Doo’s Shaggy and Velma; Steven Universe; and Finn from Adventure Time, all of whom appear in the video game MultiVersus. The production aired on truTV and Max’s B/R Sports.
Altcasts involving the biggest players in entertainment, broadcasting, and pro sports have become somewhat routine. While the novelty has worn off, however, the benefits remain. These events are family-friendly and appeal to younger fans who may not yet be followers of, or even familiar with, a given sport, making them a great way to develop future fans. The productions also represent a valuable promotional platform and revenue-generation opportunity for the studios, as well as, potentially and indirectly, a driver of merchandise sales. The trend seems to show no sign of a slow-down yet.
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