The Disney NFL partnership is complete. The Walt Disney Company, the NFL, Champion, and Fanatics have officially revealed all 32 team and character pairings in the Disney x Champion NFL Collection, unveiled at Fanatics Fest NYC. The lineup pulls beloved and iconic Disney characters alongside Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars characters to match each franchise's dedicated fan base with a character whose shared personalities and unforgettable stories fit the team's identity, city, or legacy.
Darth Vader, flanked by two Stormtroopers, took the stage as the first pick in a live "Disney Fan Draft," held on the Fanatics Fest show floor alongside Raiders owner Tom Brady, quarterback Fernando Mendoza, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, with Marvel chairman Kevin Feige watching from the audience. Paul Gitter, Disney Consumer Products' executive VP of global brand commercialization, said the collection reflects Disney's push to sit at the intersection of culture, fandom, and storytelling as the company builds toward ESPN's "Year of the Super Bowl." According to Bret Healey, director of graphic design, the products team ran an actual draft process internally, weighing each franchise's city, colors, and identity before locking in a pairing.
In the AFC East, the Bills got Disney's Beast, the Dolphins got Disney's King Triton, the Patriots got Marvel's Captain America, and the Jets got Buzz Lightyear. The AFC North paired the Ravens with Disney's Diaval and Maleficent, the Bengals with Disney's Shere Khan, the Browns with Disney's Pluto, a fan pick echoing the Dawg Pound, and the Steelers with Pete. In the AFC South, the Texans landed Pixar's Jessie, the Colts got Horace Horsecollar, the Jaguars got Pixar's Pepita, and the Titans got Marvel's Thanos. The AFC West rounded out with the Broncos paired with Disney's Maximus, the Chiefs with Disney's Big Bad Wolf, matching Chiefs Kingdom, the Raiders with Darth Vader, and the Chargers with Disney's Hercules and Pegasus.
The NFC East matched the Cowboys with Woody, the Giants with Wreck-It Ralph, the Eagles with Marvel's Doctor Doom, and the Commanders with Pixar's Hamm. In the NFC North, the Bears got Disney's Baloo, the Lions got Disney's Simba, the Packers got Chewbacca, and the Vikings got Marvel's Thor. The NFC South paired the Falcons with the Millennium Falcon, the Panthers with Disney's Bagheera, the Saints with Disney's Louis, and the Buccaneers with Captain Hook. The NFC West matched the Cardinals with Jafar and Iago, the Rams with Pixar's Sulley, fitting for the big city of Los Angeles, the 49ers with Pixar's Stinky Pete, and the Seahawks with the "Mine, Mine, Mine" seagulls, a playful nod to their fan base.
Some match-ups read as immediate and obvious, like Baloo with the Bears. Others take a beat to click, like Doctor Doom's silver-and-green scheme mirroring the Eagles, complete with dramatic action poses, or Thanos representing the Titans through sheer force of will.
The full Disney | Champion NFL Collection is available now through NFLShop.com, Fanatics.com, and the Disney Store at DisneyStore.com. The line spans T-shirts, hoodies, and hats built around each pairing, with pricing following standard Fanatics and Champion apparel tiers.
Walt Disney's sports history dates to his own animated cartoons of characters playing sports, deepened by the 1996 acquisition of ABC, which owned ESPN. The Disney | Champion NFL Collection debuted at Fanatics Fest NYC on July 16, 2026, with nine pairings first, then the full 32-team lineup in August.
Beyond the character pairings, the collection's Fanatics Fest launch supported ESPN's Take Back Sports initiative, with Disney donating to the Madison Square Boys & Girls Clubs of NYC and inviting local youth to attend the Disney Fan Draft, tying the launch to a youth sports accessibility program.
Disney has framed the collection around fans at the overlap of two fandoms: lifelong NFL supporters and longtime Disney, Marvel, Pixar, or Star Wars collectors. Executive Paul Gitter described the goal as meeting fans where they are, targeting football households and Disney collectors alike.
The Disney Fan Draft reimagined the NFL draft format through a Disney lens, hosted by Commissioner Roger Goodell and journalist Taylor Rooks, with current and former players selecting Disney characters instead of prospects. That blend of a familiar sports tradition with Disney storytelling set it apart from typical league events.
Disney has described this collection as the first chapter of a broader, ongoing collaboration with the NFL, Champion, and Fanatics, with additional team-character reveals and fan experiences promised as the partnership continues through the 2026 season and into Super Bowl LXI coverage in February 2027.
Tees, crewnecks, and fleece styles built around the highest-profile pairings, like Darth Vader with the Raiders and Doctor Doom with the Eagles, have generated the most attention since launch, largely thanks to the built-in appeal of Star Wars and Marvel characters alongside strong existing team fanbases.
Collectors chasing this line should start with their own favorite team's pairing before branching out, buy directly through NFLShop.com, Fanatics.com, or DisneyStore.com to guarantee authenticity, and watch for the additional team-character reveals and fan experiences Disney has said will continue rolling out through the season.
Olivia Blake · Editor
Editor
