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Super Bowl LXI

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Super Bowl LXI
DateFebruary 14, 2027
StadiumSoFi Stadium
Inglewood, California
TV in the United States
NetworkBroadcast:
ABC
Univision (Spanish)
Cable:
ESPN
ESPN2 (Manningcast)
ESPN Deportes (Spanish)
Streaming:
ESPN DTC
Disney+
NFL+
Hulu
AnnouncersJoe Buck (play-by-play)
Troy Aikman (analyst)
Lisa Salters and Laura Rutledge (sideline reporters)
Russell Yurk (rules analyst)
Radio in the United States
NetworkWestwood One

Super Bowl LXI is the planned American football championship game of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2026 season. The game is scheduled to be played on February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. This will be the ninth Super Bowl hosted by the Greater Los Angeles area, and the second at this venue, the first being Super Bowl LVI in 2022. It will also be the first Super Bowl to be played on both Valentine's Day and Presidents' Day weekend.

The game is planned to be nationally televised by ESPN and ABC. It will be the first Super Bowl simulcast between the two networks, the first time ABC will air the Super Bowl since Super Bowl XL in 2006, and the first time that ESPN will air the Super Bowl.[1][2]

Background

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SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, the venue of the game

Host selection

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The league has made all decisions regarding hosting sites from Super Bowl LVII onward. There is no bidding process per site: the league selects a potential venue unilaterally, the chosen team puts together a hosting proposal, and then the league votes to determine whether it is acceptable.[3]

On December 13, 2023, the NFL announced that SoFi Stadium, home of both the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers, was selected as the Super Bowl site.[4][5][6] This will be the ninth Super Bowl hosted in the Greater Los Angeles Metropolitan Area, with SoFi Stadium last hosting Super Bowl LVI in 2022.

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The official logo for Super Bowl LXI was unveiled by the game's broadcaster ESPN on February 8, 2026, during a special post-Super Bowl LX edition of SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt from SoFi Stadium. It was formally unveiled during a press conference in Los Angeles the following day, accompanied by an introductory video narrated by Inglewood-based rapper D Smoke. The traditional Roman numerals contain imagery of waves, reflecting the region's surfing culture and the "grit and tenacity of Los Angeles".[7][8][9]

Broadcasting

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United States

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Television

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Super Bowl LXI is scheduled to be televised nationally by ABC and ESPN in English and ESPN Deportes in Spanish. It will be the fourth Super Bowl to be broadcast as part of the current 11-year NFL television contract, which allows a four-year rotation between CBS, Fox, NBC and ABC/ESPN. This would mark the first time ABC will have aired the Super Bowl since 2005's Super Bowl XL, and the first time that ESPN will air a live Super Bowl in the United States in English.[2][10][11] Univision will also carry a separate Spanish broadcast on broadcast television.[11]

In September 2024, ESPN's president of content Burke Magnus stated that the Peyton and Eli altcast would "definitely be a part" of the game.[12] In January 2025, ESPN named E:60 producer Andy Tennant as vice president of Super Bowl production.[13] In March 2025, ESPN hired former Fox Sports director Artie Kempner to serve as the new director for Monday Night Football beginning in the 2025 season; Magnus specifically cited his previous involvement with Super Bowl telecasts at Fox (working alongside commentators Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, who themselves moved from Fox to ESPN and MNF in 2022) as a factor in the hiring.[14] ESPN and ABC will broadcast programming from Santa Monica State Beach during Super Bowl week, which will feature Disney promotional presences and other entertainment.[15]

Promotional efforts began a year in advance: ESPN aired a special SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt from SoFi Stadium following its Super Bowl LX post-game coverage to launch a year-long countdown to Super Bowl LXI. The following day, ESPN aired studio shows from its Los Angeles studio, SoFi Stadium, and Disneyland, and cross-promotional content appeared on ABC programming such as Good Morning America.[16] This included the premiere of a commercial that reimagines the "I'm going to Disneyland/Disney World!" commercials with Disney characters and personalities instead going to Super Bowl LXI.[17][18][19] On February 11, 2026, the Walt Disney Company announced a company-wide "Year of the Super Bowl" campaign, which will include cross-promotion across its various platforms and properties, and on-air initiatives across ESPN programming during the year prior to the game.[20]

Advertising

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Disney is reportedly charging an average of $9 million for a 30-second advertisement during Super Bowl LXI. The company had initially attempted to charge a $10 million rate on par with NBC's rates for Super Bowl LX, but also requiring advertisers to "match" their buys with an advertising commitment on other Disney platforms; it was later reported in May 2026 that the company had become more willing to negotiate with advertisers, and that Disney had been slower in selling its Super Bowl inventory in comparison to other recent broadcasters (who had usually sold 40–60% of their inventory before their upfronts, and had been able to leverage existing clients from previous Super Bowl games).[21][22]

Radio

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Westwood One holds the national radio rights to the game.[23]

International

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  • In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the game will be televised free-to-air by CBS Sports (also a Super Bowl rotation partner in the United States) through its UK channel 5. The game will also be broadcast on Virgin Media Televison in Ireland.
  • In Latin America, the game will be televised by ESPN and its streaming and on-demand platform Disney+.
  • In Germany and Austria, the game will be televised by RTL.
  • In Serbia, the game will be televised by Arena Sport.

References

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  1. ↑ Sherman, Alex; Young, Jabari (March 18, 2021). "NFL finalizes new 11-year media rights deal, Amazon gets exclusive Thursday Night rights". CNBC. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  2. 1 2 Schefter, Adam (December 13, 2023). "Super Bowl LXI in 2027 to be played at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles". ABC7 Los Angeles. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  3. ↑ Teope, Herbie (May 23, 2018). "Arizona, New Orleans chosen as Super Bowl hosts". NFL.com. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  4. ↑ Jones, Jonathan (December 13, 2023). "Super Bowl expected to return to SoFi in 2027: Los Angeles area to host big game for second time since 2022". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  5. ↑ Chavkin, Daniel (December 13, 2023). "SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles Expected to Host Super Bowl LXI, per Report". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  6. ↑ Schefter, Adam (December 13, 2023). "Super Bowl LXI to be played at SoFi Stadium in L.A." ESPN.com. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  7. ↑ Erzberger, Tyler (February 9, 2026). "ESPN might have leaked the Super Bowl LXI logo—See it here first". Newsweek. Archived from the original on February 9, 2026. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Logo unveiled for Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium". KTLA. Nexstar Media Group. February 9, 2026. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
  9. ↑ Breech, John (February 9, 2026). "Super Bowl LXI logo unveiled: Colors spark theories for 2027 Valentine's Day game". CBS Sports. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
  10. ↑ Howard, Chelsea (March 6, 2019). "Next NFL TV deal could end AFC, NFC split on Sunday afternoons, report says". Sporting News. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  11. 1 2 Lerner, Drew (May 12, 2026). "Super Bowl LXI to feature two different Spanish telecasts across ESPN, Univision". Awful Announcing. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  12. ↑ Schiffer, Alex (September 11, 2024). "ESPN Will Have a ManningCast for the Super Bowl". Front Office Sports. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  13. ↑ "ESPN Promotes Tim Corrigan, Amanda Gifford; Names Andy Tennant VP of Super Bowl Production". Barrett Media. January 23, 2025. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
  14. ↑ Weinstein, Arthur (March 18, 2025). "ESPN hiring Fox's Artie Kempner as 'Monday Night Football' director". Awful Announcing. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  15. ↑ Yoder, Matt (May 13, 2026). "The ESPN Beach is taking over Super Bowl LXI". Awful Announcing. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  16. ↑ Hayes, Dade (January 28, 2026). "ESPN, Disney Get Early Jump On 2027 Super Bowl Hype, Teasing Game Coverage In 24-Hour 'Handoff' Event". Deadline. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  17. ↑ Neumann, Sam (February 11, 2026). "ESPN launches "Year of the Super Bowl" with new storytelling initiatives building toward 2027". Awful Announcing. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
  18. ↑ "ESPN Unveils "The Year of the Super Bowl": A Landmark, Yearlong Celebration Building Toward ESPN's First Super Bowl Production in February 2027". ESPN Press Room (Press release). February 11, 2026. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
  19. ↑ "ESPN Announces 24-Hour 'Handoff' Event to Preview First Super Bowl Broadcast in 2027". Sports Video Group. January 29, 2026. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  20. ↑ Steinberg, Brian (February 11, 2026). "Disney's 2027 Super Bowl Plans Call for 'ManningCast,' With Plenty of Big Game Tie-Ins Across Company". Variety. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
  21. ↑ Steinberg, Brian (May 13, 2026). "Super Bowl Soap Opera: Disney Sells Some Commercials for $9 Million, But Still Faces Resistance From Large Ad Buyers (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
  22. ↑ Steinberg, Brian (April 16, 2026). "Disney Seeks $10 Million for Super Bowl Commercials, but Advertisers Push Back (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
  23. ↑ Lucia, Joe (March 28, 2022). "Westwood One has a new deal with the NFL, with all primetime games available for free in the NFL app". Awful Announcing. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
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