By Andrew McCartyShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberApart from a two-week standoff with YouTube TV, ESPN has enjoyed a wildly successful NFL season as "Monday Night Football" is on pace for its second most-watched season in history, dating back to 2006 when it landed the NFL product.
As ESPN prepares to close out the season with a number of impressive matchups, a non-conference tilt between legitimate contenders Indianapolis and San Francisco is set to take center stage in Week 16. Before the 49ers and Colts take the field, though, ESPN announced a first-ever change for the matchup.
The game will not only be broadcast on ESPN and ABC, but will now stream on Disney+ for its first ever traditional NFL game broadcast on the platform.
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"ESPN’s Monday Night Football matchup between the playoff-contending San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts in Week 16 (December 22, 8 p.m. ET) will now stream on Disney+ and simulcast on ABC, in addition to remaining available on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and the ESPN App," the Worldwide Leader said. "This marks a milestone for The Walt Disney Company and the NFL as 49ers-Colts will be the first traditional NFL game broadcast available to stream on Disney+ for standalone subscribers."
"This NFL game on Disney+ builds on the platform’s growing live sports portfolio, which features the upcoming Monsters Funday Football – the third iteration of a real-time, animated Monday Night Football alternate-telecast, NBA, NHL, MLB and college football games. Previous Funday Football alternate-telecasts, all of which streamed on Disney+, have included The Simpsons Funday Football (2024) and Toy Story Funday Football (2023)."
The announcement comes after ESPN and the NFL agreed to a new rights deal in August that allows games to be broadcast on the streaming platform.
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