'Toy Story' NFL Broadcast Is A Huge Hit With Kids And Kids At Heart

I can't believe I just watched that whole thing. And I mean that in a good way.

Sunday's London game between the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars was broadcast entirely in the style of Toy Story. Streaming on ESPN+ and Disney+, it's the first time ever that an NFL game has been fully animated.

"We looked at a lot of different concepts and then ultimately targeting Toy Story because it resonates with older generations and kids together," ESPN's VP of Programming Tim Reed said.

The game took place in Andy's room with the players' movements in sync with what was happening in real time on the field.

Check it out:

Admittedly, it looked shaky at first. The technology was glitchy, and viewers found themselves staring only at the announcers throughout the Jaguars' first drive while they figured it out.

But once the technical difficulties were resolved, the broadcast was tremendously entertaining.

And it cleverly worked in all the beloved characters from the Toy Story universe: Slinky dog acted as the chains, moving up the field with every first down. The claw spotted the ball. The aliens controlled the aerial cameras, and Woody and all of his toy friends watched from the sidelines.

They even treated us to a "Duke Caboom Daredevil Spectacular" halftime show, where the Canadian motorcycle stuntman jumped over five double decker buses.

Drew Carter, Booger McFarland and 12-year old Pepper Persley — all fully animated — served as the announcers for the game.

The Toy Story broadcast is the NFL's latest attempt to appeal to young viewers.

It started in 2021 when the NFL began a partnership with Nickelodeon for special kid-themed broadcasts. These games included commentary from SpongeBob SquarePants' Patrick Starr, cameos from Nickelodeon characters, green slime and cartoon graphics.

But the Toy Story game took things to the next level. The broadcast even included seven pre-made "explainer" videos to help kids understand the game.

And parents loved it — with many posting to social media about their kids' sudden interest in watching football.

But don't be fooled: It wasn't just for kids. Adults loved the nostalgia, too. Including the 30-something-year-old kid writing this article.

It's unclear whether the NFL and Disney/Pixar will team up for another fully animated game in the future. But given the success of the Toy Story broadcast, I'd say that's a strong possibility.

Meanwhile, the NFL and CBS have already announced we'll get two Nickelodeon games this season: the Christmas Day game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs and Super Bowl LVIII. This will be the first time a Super Bowl game will get an alternate broadcast.

So if you're not a fan of Usher, maybe they can bring back Duke Caboom.