ESPN Creative Studio Collaborates with Beyond Sports for Christmas Day Broadcast
This Christmas Day, Mickey, Minnie, and their friends return to spread holiday joy as ESPN presents its second annual Dunk the Halls animated special. This marks ESPN’s second animated alternate broadcast in less than three weeks, following the Monsters Funday Football on December 8, and represents the seventh such broadcast since ESPN began using Sony’s Beyond Sports technology in 2023.
“The technology and operations are constantly improving,” states Michael ‘Spike’ Szykowny, VP of Edit, Animation & Graphics Innovation at ESPN Creative Studio. “This allows us to tell richer stories. We analyze past experiences to enhance future broadcasts, always adding new storytelling surprises, many of which will be featured in Dunk The Halls.”
This year, building on last year’s success, ESPN Creative Studio, along with Beyond Sports, will virtually change the setting of the game between the Knicks and Cavaliers from Madison Square Garden to “Main Street, U.S.A.” at Walt Disney World. Each player will appear as an animated version of themselves, using motion capture technology from Sony’s Hawk-Eye Innovations. Announcers will also wear Meta Quest Pro headsets to commentate from this magical location.
Beloved characters from Disney, including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy, will participate, with Daisy Duck covering the sidelines and Pluto and Chip and Dale cheering from the audience. This year, Stitch makes his debut in Dunk the Halls, playing a prominent role in the broadcast across ESPN2, Disney+, Disney Channel, Disney XD, and the ESPN App.
“Stitch brings a unique charm and excitement to this year’s event,” says Szykowny. “Last year featured a Dunk Competition, but this time, the Disney characters will engage in a Christmas Parade Float competition at halftime, which viewers won’t want to miss.”
Live Animated Production Workflow from MSG to Bristol
The entirety of the production, powered by ESPN’s Beyond Sports technology, will be managed from ESPN’s campus in Bristol, Connecticut, involving all crew and talent. Fourteen HawkEye cameras will track every player and ball movement in real-time, providing detailed 3D data of the action. This data will be processed in Bristol to create live animations.
More than 40 professionals will contribute to the Dunk the Halls production, including technical operators, animators, and media replay staff, all collaborating to deliver a captivating experience for viewers.
Introducing Stitch: A New Character and Technological Innovations
Stitch, the mischievous alien from Disney’s Lilo and Stitch, will lead the fun during the broadcast, including a new halftime Christmas Parade. The parade, featuring floats designed around beloved Disney characters, was created through a collaboration between ESPN and Big Studios.
All animated elements, from real-time animations tied to gameplay events to pre-produced narratives, will contribute to making this event both entertaining and magical. As Szykowny emphasizes, the aim is to continuously enhance these animated altcasts.
Future Plans: More Animated Altcasts on the Horizon
The Christmas Day event is just one chapter in ESPN’s ongoing animated broadcast journey. ESPN has announced plans for more animated telecasts throughout the 2025–26 season and beyond. “We’re always aiming to innovate and improve our animated altcasts, and we have exciting projects lined up for the future,” Szykowny concludes.
The animated broadcast featuring the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers will commence at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN2, Disney+, Disney Channel, Disney XD, and the ESPN App.
