Monday Night Football Makes Disney+ History with Week 16

Disney+ is stepping onto the NFL field in a whole new way by streaming its first-ever traditional NFL game and marking a major milestone for sports fans on the platform.

What’s Happening:

This December, Disney+ takes a bold leap forward in live sports streaming as ESPN’s Monday Night Football matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts becomes the first traditional NFL broadcast available to standalone Disney+ subscribers.
Airing December 22 at 8 p.m. ET, the Week 16 matchup will stream on Disney+ and simulcast on ABC, while remaining available on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and the ESPN App.
The move marks a new chapter for The Walt Disney Company and the NFL as viewers gain yet another way to access one of sports’ most-watched weekly events.
The NFL game joins a growing slate of marquee sports content on Disney+, including the upcoming Monsters Funday Football, the third installment of ESPN’s family-friendly, fully animated alternate telecast.
Disney+ has previously hosted other innovative real-time animated broadcasts, such as The Simpsons Funday Football (2024) and Toy Story Funday Football (2023), both of which pushed the boundaries of what live sports can look like on a streaming platform.
Disney+ is also home to select NBA, NHL, MLB, and college football games, reinforcing its position as a versatile destination for both traditional sports and creative alternate presentations.
The expanded rights for Disney+ come as part of the new agreement between ESPN and the NFL, announced in August. Included in the deal is ESPN’s ability to stream a Monday Night Football broadcast on Disney+, as well as the option to designate an additional Monday night simulcast on ABC, a right secured when the 2025–26 NFL schedule was revealed in May.
Fans tuning in across platforms can look forward to the familiar voices of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman from the broadcast booth at Lucas Oil Stadium, with Lisa Salters and Laura Rutledge reporting from the sidelines. The full production will mirror the high-quality experience viewers expect from ESPN’s flagship NFL franchise.
Through Week 12, Monday Night Football is pacing toward its second most-watched season in the ESPN era (2006–present)—a testament to the franchise’s enduring appeal. And there’s more football to come: over the next two months, ESPN will deliver eight more NFL matchups, including six regular-season games and two postseason showdowns.
The season will once again finish with a Week 18 doubleheader and a playoff slate that includes both a Wild Card and a Divisional Round game, cementing ESPN and Disney+ as central hubs for the NFL’s most pivotal moments.

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Monday Night Football Makes Disney+ History with Week 16 Matchup

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