Disney Continues To Bet On Sports Fandom With New NFL Partnership
Disney is expanding its sports-focused merchandise strategy through a new partnership with the NFL, Champion, and Fanatics. The collaboration features apparel pairing all 32 NFL teams with characters from Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel.
Why it matters
This initiative demonstrates Disney's ongoing effort to leverage its intellectual property to deepen engagement with sports fans and capitalize on the popularity of the NFL.
Hollywood & Entertainment Disney Continues To Bet On Sports Fandom With New NFL Partnership By Megan duBois ,
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Megan duBois is a reporter who covers The Walt Disney Company. Follow Author Jul 16, 2026, 10:00am EDT Jul 16, 2026, 12:29pm EDT --:-- / --:-- This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more . This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more . Spanning tees, crewnecks, and sweatshirts, the Disney | Champion NFL Collection will ultimately represent all 32 NFL teams. The first eight team-character matchups feature fan-favorite characters from Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel. © Disney The Walt Disney Company has a storied history with sports from Walt Disney’s animated cartoons of characters participating in various games to the 1996 acquisition of ABC (which owned ESPN at the time).
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