Disney is putting two of its biggest live-event plays on Disney+, with the streaming service set to carry Super Bowl LXI in 2027 and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.
The 2027 game will mark ESPN’s first Super Bowl in the sports brand’s history. Disney announced Wednesday that Disney+ will offer a streaming simulcast in both English and Spanish, significantly widening the event’s availability across the company’s platforms.
ABC will also simulcast the game, while pay-TV distribution and alternative broadcasts, including the Manningcast, will form part of Disney’s expansive coverage plan.
Disney+ expands its live lineup
Before the Super Bowl arrives, Disney+ will add two Monday Night Football games later this fall. The games will broaden the live-sports programming included with Disney+ while also serving Disney’s effort to draw streaming customers toward ESPN, which streams every game.
The move brings major football programming to a paid service that already has substantial reach. Disney no longer reports Disney+ subscriber totals, but the platform is widely regarded as the second most-scaled streaming service in the United States behind Netflix. Combined with ABC’s accessibility and traditional pay television, the Disney+ simulcast gives the company several avenues for reaching viewers with Super Bowl LXI.
New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, Disney’s flagship New Year’s show and one of the year’s top live broadcasts, will also be available through Disney+. Ryan Seacrest will again be joined by Rita Ora in New York, while Julianne Hough and NFL legend Rob Gronkowski will appear from Las Vegas. Druski will host from Chicago.
A companywide Super Bowl campaign
Disney began promoting its 2027 Super Bowl plans immediately after this year’s game ended, setting in motion a campaign designed to emphasize both the scale of the event and its significance as ESPN’s first Super Bowl.
The company plans to use multiple parts of its portfolio—including theme parks, films, products and experiences—to build awareness. One element of that effort will transform Santa Monica Beach into “ESPN Beach” as part of the broader takeover.
Commercial demand is already strong. Disney has sold out its advertising inventory for the game, although the company is still seeking advertisers willing to join a reserve list in case additional inventory becomes available.
The additions of Super Bowl LXI and New Year’s Rockin’ Eve also reflect Disney’s larger digital strategy under CEO Josh D’Amaro. He wants Disney+ to evolve beyond a conventional streaming service and become the company’s “digital centerpiece.”
That plan is ultimately expected to bring together Disney stories, films, experiences, games and other offerings through the platform. Making the company’s largest live events available there is another step toward positioning Disney+ as a broader digital destination rather than solely a home for on-demand programming.
What Happens Next?
The two Monday Night Football games will expand Disney+’s live-sports roster later this fall, followed by New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with its hosts appearing from New York, Las Vegas and Chicago. Disney will then continue its portfolio-wide promotional campaign leading into the 2027 Super Bowl, when ESPN presents the game for the first time and Disney+ streams it in English and Spanish.