How Professional Sports Use CGI to Reach Younger Audiences
By Movieguide® Contributor
To attract younger viewers, pro sports leagues have started offering alternative broadcasts aimed at children.
TOY STORY and the NFL recently collaborated to create a fully animated, real-time telecast of an NFL game played by TOY STORY characters. The broadcast also included a special halftime show with stunts taking place around Andy’s room.
The collaboration, which aired on October 1, brought in millions of viewers who would not normally tune into the game.
“You start to have families watching the NFL that never looked at that before, just because it didn’t appeal to them. But when you put it in a TOY STORY format, all of a sudden, my 7 and 5-year-old love Woody, and they want to watch the NFL,” said John Campbell, senior vice president of client partnerships at Disney.
This isn’t the first time the NFL has partnered up to create a broadcast aimed at children. They collaborated with Nickelodeon in the past to bring viewers a CGI slime-filled football experience.
These types of partnerships are not exclusive to the NFL either. Earlier this year, the NHL partnered with Disney to create the NHL BIG CITY GREENS CLASSIC, a fully animated, real-time telecast of an NHL game.
“Working with Disney Channel and the NHL, we are producing a telecast that will reach a new and different audience and help to grow hockey fandom even more,” Ilan Ben-Hanan, the senior vice president of programming and acquisitions at ESPN, said in March. “BIG CITY GREENS has a huge following in a younger audience that we are excited to tap into, offering a fun and creative way to enjoy the game across Disney platforms.”
Like the NFL-TOY STORY collaboration, the BIG CITY GREENS CLASSIC drew in a large audience that would not otherwise have watched the game.
As this technology evolves and becomes even better at delivering this unique experience, it will be interesting to see how professional sports leagues deploy it to engage a broader audience.
Movieguide® previously reported:
ESPN, the Walt Disney Company and the NFL have teamed up for TOY STORY FUNDAY FOOTBALL, an animated recreation of a real-life game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Jacksonville Jaguars. This project is the first of its kind.
“This presentation is the latest in ESPN’s innovation strategy, providing alternate telecasts in signature events,” a press release for the program reads.
Instead of a familiar football field, the animated game will take place in Andy’s room.
“TOY STORY FUNDAY FOOTBALL will transform every player and play into an animated recreation that brings the game, which is taking place at London’s Wembley Stadium, into the world of the beloved Pixar franchise,” Entertainment Tonight reported. “The broadcast will use state-of-the-art tracking technology enabled by the NFL’s Next Gen Stats player-tracking data and Beyond Sports.”
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
