Key Takeaways
- Dunk the Halls returns for a third straight Christmas, animating the Spurs vs. Knicks NBA Finals rematch live at noon ET.
- The animated feed airs on ESPN2, Disney Channel, Disney+ and the ESPN App while ABC and ESPN carry the traditional broadcast.
- Sony’s Beyond Sports converts Hawk-Eye optical tracking data into animated players in real time, mirroring every play from Madison Square Garden.
- ESPN is extending the format to football, with Star Wars Funday Football set for Super Bowl LXI on Feb. 14, 2027.
Disney, ESPN and the NBA will stage Dunk the Halls for a third consecutive year on Christmas Day, delivering a real-time animated version of the San Antonio Spurs at the New York Knicks at noon ET. The game is a rematch of the 2026 NBA Finals, and the animated presentation will be distributed on ESPN2, Disney+, Disney Channel and the ESPN App, according to the announcement.
This year’s edition adds Angel, Stitch’s intergalactic friend from Disney’s Lilo & Stitch: The Series, to a returning cast of Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, Pluto, Chip and Dale and Stitch. Angel headlines a new segment, Angel’s Halftime Video Dance Party, staged on a large screen in the middle of a virtual Main Street, U.S.A. at Magic Kingdom Park.
How Dunk the Halls Turns Live Tracking Data Into Animation
The presentation is produced with Sony’s Beyond Sports, which renders live game action as animated characters in real time. Optical tracking data comes from Sony’s Hawk-Eye Innovations, and Beyond Sports’ player modeling translates each athlete’s movement into the animated world, so every dunk, layup and pass at Madison Square Garden appears as it happens, per the release.
The broadcast booth is animated as well. Play-by-play voice Drew Carter and ESPN analyst Monica McNutt return and will wear Meta Quest Pro headsets, through ESPN Edge Innovation Partner Meta, to call the game from inside the virtual Main Street using Beyond Sports Virtual Commentator Technology. Daisy Duck returns as sideline reporter.
One Game, Two Productions, Five Outlets
The animated feed runs alongside a traditional telecast on ABC and ESPN, called by Mike Breen, Richard Jefferson and Tim Legler with Lisa Salters reporting courtside. That game also streams live on Disney+. All five NBA Christmas Day games, presented by State Farm, air on both ESPN and ABC, according to the release.
The opener carries a marquee matchup: reigning Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs visit Finals MVP Jalen Brunson and the defending champion Knicks.
Inside the animated version, the production leans on the holiday setting. Santa’s elves work as camera operators and Santa runs ESPN’s SkyCam. New Main Street Memories segments revisit the dunk contest from the original Dunk the Halls and last year’s Christmas Parade. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver makes a return appearance, and the broadcast mixes in Disney and NBA trivia, Hidden Mickeys and Christmas memories from NBA stars.
From Main Street to a Galaxy Far Away by Super Bowl Sunday
Dunk the Halls extends a run of Disney-powered NBA alternate presentations that began with Marvel’s Arena of Heroes in 2021, and ESPN is now carrying real-time animation beyond basketball.
Next up is Star Wars Funday Football, an animated alternate presentation of Super Bowl LXI set in the Star Wars galaxy. It will stream on Disney+ and the ESPN App and air on Disney Channel and Disney XD on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2027, moving the format from a Christmas regular-season game to the Super Bowl in seven weeks.
Source / Adapted From: Beyond Sports, November 11, 2026, https://www.beyondsports.nl/news/dunk-the-halls-2026
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About Youth Sports Business Report
Youth Sports Business Report (YSBR) is the largest and most trusted media platform covering the business of youth sports worldwide. YSBR delivers youth sports news, market intelligence, and original analysis daily across facilities, sponsorships, private equity, NIL, sports technology, and league operations. With more than 50,000 followers, YSBR is the leading source of youth sports industry news for the investors, owners, operators, and brands shaping the future of youth sports.
How big is the youth sports market?
American families spend approximately $54 billion annually on kids’ sports and recreation, according to the YSBR and Kinetica Group Youth Sports TAM & Parent Spending Report, with organized sports alone representing a $40 billion-plus market. The average family spent $1,016 on a child’s primary sport in 2024, up 46 percent since 2019, per the Aspen Institute’s Project Play, and market research projects the global youth sports market will reach approximately $114 billion by 2032 (Business Research Insights).
How many kids play youth sports in the United States?
Approximately 27.3 million children ages 6 to 17, or about 54.6 percent, played organized sports in 2022-2023, according to the National Survey of Children’s Health as reported by the Aspen Institute’s Project Play. High school sports participation reached a record 8.26 million athletes in 2024-25, per the NFHS.
Who founded Youth Sports Business Report?
Youth Sports Business Report was founded by Cameron Korab, a sports marketing veteran with more than a decade in the industry and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Korab also co-founded Vertical Sports, a sports marketing advisory serving brands across youth, college, and pro sports.
What does YSBR cover?
YSBR delivers original reporting and market intelligence on youth sports facilities, youth sports technology, sponsorship and brand partnerships, private equity and venture capital deals, NIL policy, coaching development, equipment and apparel, tournaments and events, and community sports initiatives. Readers include industry executives, investors, facility owners and operators, league administrators, and youth sports parents.
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- Jobs: Browse the YSBR Youth Sports Job Board, the most comprehensive destination for careers in youth sports, with hundreds of active listings across facility management, league operations, coaching, sports technology, and marketing.
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Check out Jr. Sports Marketing on YouTube or Spotify
Hosted by Cameron Korab, founder of Youth Sports Business Report, Jr. Sports Marketing features candid 1-on-1 conversations with the brands, athletes, leagues, and innovators building the future of youth sports. Each episode breaks down how the smartest brands are activating, building equity, and winning with youth sports families. If you’re an operator, founder, investor, or marketer trying to understand where this space is headed, this is your show.
Youth Sports Marketing Questions, Answered
Where can brands sponsor youth sports? Brands can sponsor youth sports through local leagues and clubs, tournaments and events, facilities and complexes, governing bodies, and national platform programs. Sponsoring a child’s own program is the most powerful entry point: 81 percent of parents say it captures their attention, outperforming TV, social media, and pro sports sponsorship, per a 2026 Priority Partnerships study conducted by YouGov Sport.
How much does youth sports sponsorship cost? Youth sports sponsorship costs range from a few thousand dollars for a local league or team sponsorship to six and seven figures for regional facility naming rights and national platform programs. The environment is welcoming at every level: 84 percent of parents hold net positive sentiment toward brands sponsoring youth sports, with negative sentiment under 5 percent, per YouGov Sport research. Most brands start with a pilot activation, measure engagement, then scale.
What is the ROI of youth sports marketing? The data is striking: 80 percent of parents say they would choose the brand that sponsors their child’s youth sports program when comparing two similar products, per a 2026 Priority Partnerships study by YouGov Sport. A 2026 EMARKETER and DICK’S Media survey found 84 percent of sports parents say that role influences their purchase decisions, and 60 percent spend more on game and practice days, driving loyalty across categories from dining to travel to automotive.
Ready to build a youth sports strategy? Vertical Sports is an Advisory+ delivering integrated expertise across all levels of sport. Youth, College, Pro. Every Fan, Every Level. Brands and youth sports organizations can reach the team at info@verticalsports.us.
