Disney has announced that the winner of Super Bowl LX is going to Disneyland on February 9, 2026! Not only that, but the park will play host to ESPN’s 24-hour ‘Handoff’ event starting its coverage of the big game in 2027. This shares full details, so you can start planning for the parade down Main Street USA, this year or next.
Let’s start with the announcements made by ESPN and Disney Parks. ESPN will close out coverage of this year’s NFL season and immediately set its sights on the 2026–27 campaign with a special one-time, 24-hour, multi-platform initiative dubbed “The Handoff.”
The overnight event starts on Sunday, February 8, 2026 immediately after Super Bowl LX concludes. “The Handoff” will transition ESPN’s coverage from Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, California, and begin the road down I-5 South to Los Angeles, where Super Bowl LXI will be played on February 14, 2027. This is ESPN’s first-ever time airing the Super Bowl.
Powered by many of ESPN’s biggest personalities and supported across ESPN and Disney platforms, “The Handoff” will feature live shows, exclusive reveals and original storytelling from locations throughout Southern California.
Note that neither ESPN nor ABC are airing Super Bowl LX. Rather, the big game itself will air on NBC and streamed on Peacock on Sunday, February 8, 2026 with coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET. This also coincides with the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, also on NBC and Peacock, resulting in that network doing its own all-day event on Sunday (fitting that the Universal vs. Disney rivalry extends to dueling all-day sporting events).
As part of NBC’s Legendary February, that Sunday is the ‘4K All Day’ event on NBC and Peacock. This marks the first time a Super Bowl and Olympic Games will be presented in 4K HDR on the NBC broadcast network and the Peacock streaming service.
February 8th begins with live Winter Olympics coverage starting at 7 a.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, followed by Super Bowl pregame coverage at noon ET, game coverage at 6:30 p.m. ET, and finishes with Primetime in Milan beginning at approximately 10:45 p.m. ET – providing fans with 17 hours of 4K HDR coverage on the biggest day in sports.
Suffice to say, sports fans are in for a treat next Sunday and Monday. I’m really excited about this year’s Super Bowl and Olympics, but you’re probably here for the Disneyland crossover. Here are the details of ESPN’s “The Handoff” event…
“The Handoff” Starts at Site of Super Bowl LXI
Following the crowning of a champion inside Levi’s Stadium and the conclusion of NFL PrimeTime from the same site, Chris Berman — an original ESPN voice and NFL broadcasting legend — will ceremonially “hand off” to Scott Van Pelt, who will be at SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park, the home of Super Bowl LXI. This symbolic moment marks the official start of “The Handoff.”
- SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt – Van Pelt anchors his signature late-night edition, delivering in-depth highlights and reaction to Super Bowl LX between the Patriots and Seahawks while offering glimpses and teases of what’s ahead for ESPN.
- Super Bowl Live – That same night, Super Bowl Live hosted by Laura Rutledge will air, continuing the network’s comprehensive recap of Super Bowl LX and a look forward at the continuing NFL storylines. The show will also air from SoFi Stadium.
Disneyland on Monday, February 9, 2026
“The Handoff” continues Monday, Feb. 9, with ESPN studio shows broadcasting from Disneyland Park and additional programming originating from locations across Southern California:
- Live From Disneyland – With a set in Town Square at the foot of Main Street, U.S.A., within Disneyland Park, First Take with Stephen A. Smith, multiple editions of SportsCenter, NFL Live and a second episode of Super Bowl Live will originate from within the park. ESPN will also welcome and honor a player from the Super Bowl LX championship team.
- ABC News and Disney Integration – ABC News’ Good Morning America will originate in part from Levi’s Stadium for its Monday show and Tuesday will air an interview with a player from the Super Bowl LX championship team. World News Tonight with David Muir will also feature content in its Monday broadcast as part of the daylong cross-platform moment.
- Full West Coast Lineup – The day begins with Get Up from ESPN’s Los Angeles studios and concludes with Jimmy Kimmel Live! from Hollywood.
“The Handoff” serves as a prelude to ESPN and Disney’s full Super Bowl initiative.
Our Commentary
It makes sense that Disney and ESPN want to start hyping up their Super Bowl coverage now, as that’ll help move those bundled streaming service subscriptions. It also makes sense that they’re airing the Super Bowl parade at Disneyland live on ESPN.
I’ve always wondered why Disney spent so much money on that commercial, but never capitalized with an actual broadcast. This strikes me as an easy and obvious synergy opportunity, on par with the ABC Christmas Day Parade, but primarily appealing to a different, untapped demographic: dads.
As we’ve pointed out previously, the window between Christmas and winter is huge for families planning travel. That’s precisely why the Christmas parade and Super Bowl commercial are such valuable advertising. Now, there will be the one-two punch of the commercial plus the parade. (I know Disney has used footage from the parade in the past, but this should dial that up a level.)
It’s also not a surprise whatsoever that Disneyland, and not Walt Disney World, will host the Super Bowl LX parade given that the big game is being played in the San Francisco 49ers stadium. Whether the celebration is at Magic Kingdom in Florida or Disneyland in California is dictated by the host site of the Super Bowl. It’s almost entirely about the ease of visit, and Northern California is closer to Southern California than it is Central Florida.
I would also imagine that home state teams are more likely to appear at Walt Disney World or Disneyland, as the case may be, when there’s a close call. For example, a Super Bowl in Houston featuring the Rams could end up with a parade at Disneyland instead of Magic Kingdom. That’s just a guess, though. To the best of my knowledge, there haven’t been any examples of that dynamic in recent history.
And there won’t be this year with the Super Bowl LX match-up being the Seattle Seahawks (NFC) facing the New England Patriots (AFC). If the Seahawks win, Disneyland is the obvious location for a parade; Washington is a big ‘feeder’ for Disneyland. If the Patriots win, there is no obvious fit. Walt Disney World would be the more logical choice, but convenience for the players wins out.
Being a diehard Detroit Lions fan, I’m doing just as Disney is doing and looking past this year’s big game entirely, and towards Super Bowl LXI in Los Angeles. (Although I can’t say the hiring of Drew Petzing gives me reason for optimism–Mike Kafka does, though.)
It’s safe to say I speak for all of America in saying the dream match-up for Super Bowl LXI is the Detroit Lions vs. Buffalo Bills (although they seem equally engaged in curious coaching decisions). That’s the game everyone wants to see.
Personally, I’d also settle for the Colts or Chargers on the AFC side, and wouldn’t be upset if somehow the Jaguars, Ravens, Bengals, Browns or Jets (hahahaha to those last two) managed to make it.
Although I’m pretty positive we won’t be attending Super Bowl LXI in LA, we will be the first guests in line for the Toy Story Lot or the Eastern Gateway if the Lions do manage to win it all. Heck, we’d go watch the parade for the Bills or a number of other teams, so long as none of them beat the Lions.
At the risk of stating the obvious, the parade for Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027 will also almost certainly be hosted at Disneyland since the game is being played at SoFi Stadium, which is basically in Los Angeles (and on the Disneyland side of LA).
I’m also looking forward to this event from Disneyland on February 9, 2026 and ESPN’s coverage of the 2027 Super Bowl. It could be argued that ESPN has the best broadcast booth right now–although I’m not sure that’ll still be true in 2027 if Brady has another big year-over-year improvement–and other things like the ManningCast could make it fun.
If you’re visiting Disneyland on February 9th, expect elevated crowds and congestion, especially if the Seahawks win. My hope is that it’s like Candlelight Processional with more restrictive reservation availability (speaking of which, you might want to grab those now). Should be interesting to see–we’ll keep you posted!
Planning a Southern California vacation? For park admission deals, read Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets. Learn about on-site and off-site hotels in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews & Rankings. For where to eat, check out our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. For unique ideas of things that’ll improve your trip, check out What to Pack for Disney. For comprehensive advice, consult our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide. Finally, for guides beyond Disney, check out our Southern California Itineraries for day trips to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and many other SoCal cities!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of ESPN’s Handoff event at Disneyland? Planning to be in the park on February 9, 2026 for the broadcasts or Super Bowl parade? Do you agree or disagree with our commentary? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
