ESPN is wasting no time turning the page on the 2025–26 NFL season. On Super Bowl Sunday, February 8, the network will launch a one-time, 24-hour, multi-platform event called The Handoff, officially beginning the countdown to Super Bowl LXI, ESPN’s first-ever Super Bowl broadcast, set for February 14, 2027.
The Handoff will begin immediately following Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, California, and will transition ESPN’s coverage from the conclusion of the current season to the road ahead. The initiative will span ESPN and Disney platforms and feature live shows, exclusive reveals, and original storytelling from locations throughout Southern California.
The event kicks off at SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park, the future home of Super Bowl LXI. After NFL PrimeTime wraps up from Levi’s Stadium, longtime ESPN host and NFL broadcasting icon Chris Berman will ceremonially “hand off” coverage to Scott Van Pelt, who will be stationed at SoFi Stadium. That moment marks the official start of The Handoff.
Van Pelt will then anchor SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt, breaking down highlights and reactions from Super Bowl LX between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks (Go, Hawks!), while teasing what’s ahead as ESPN prepares for its Super Bowl debut. Later that night, Super Bowl Live, hosted by Laura Rutledge, will air from SoFi Stadium, continuing coverage of the game and looking forward to the next chapter of the NFL season.
The Disney connection takes center stage on Monday, February 9, when ESPN’s programming shifts to Disneyland. With a live set in Town Square at the foot of Main Street, U.S.A., First Take, multiple editions of SportsCenter, NFL Live, and a second episode of Super Bowl Live will broadcast directly from inside the park. ESPN will also welcome and recognize a player from the Super Bowl LX championship team during the day.
ABC News will be part of the broader cross-platform effort as well. Good Morning America will originate in part from Levi’s Stadium on Monday, followed by a Tuesday interview with a Super Bowl LX champion. World News Tonight with David Muir will also feature coverage tied to the event.
The Handoff serves as an early preview of ESPN and Disney’s larger Super Bowl LXI plans, with more details expected as the 2027 game approaches.
