NFL Flag Football Championship Finals To Stream Live On Disney+ (US)
Later this year, Disney will be adding a brand new ESPN hub into Disney+ in the United States, which will offer a small selection of sports programming included in a Disney+ subscription, plus ESPN+ content will also be available to bundled subscribers, similar to how Hulu On Disney+ operates.
But you’re not going to have to wait too much longer for some sports content as Disney has announced that on Sunday 21st July 2024, Disney+ will stream live coverage of the inaugural NFL Flag Football event from Canton, Ohio, a 30-game showcase featuring the top 15U boys and 18U girls teams competing for the NFL FLAG Championship title.
The boy’s final will be taking place from 3 pm until 4 pm (PT), while the girl’s final will take right after, from 4 pm until 5 pm (PT).
Flag football is played by more than 20 million people in more than 100 different countries and is the most inclusive and accessible format of football, played by people of all ages and genders, with female athletes driving some of the fastest growth.
The girls’ 17U and boys’ 14U will each begin with 32 teams, consisting of NFL Flag regional winners representing all NFL teams. After play, the field will be narrowed to 16 girls’ and 16 boys’ teams.
If you’re interested in seeing the entire event, ESPN will be covering the girls 17U and the boys 14U tournaments (30 games – 15 girls and 15 boys) beginning Friday, 19th July 2024, through Sunday, 21st July 2024, at the Hall of Fame Village in Canton, Ohio, home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Each of the 30 games (15 girls, 15 boys) in bracket play will be available on at least three platforms simultaneously, including all games on ESPN+ and NFL+, and some will also be carried on Disney’s linear channels.
Outside the US, the NFL Flag Championships will be available in 125+ countries on ESPN-branded networks, including Mexico, Brazil, throughout Africa and Australia, and in New Zealand, the Netherlands, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands.
The NFL has been trying to grow its reach to younger people, and Flag Football is one way that’s being used to allow kids to play the game without all the risks of a full-contact sport. The game is also going to be played in the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, and the NFL is pushing the game in other countries around the world, with the Jacksonville Jaguars promoting the game in the UK with a youth program for schools.
Roger’s Take: With Disney looking to incorporate more sports into Disney+, this is another good test event to test how the streaming service handles live events without being overloaded since it, unlike this game, will pull in too many viewers. Sports are going to become an even bigger thing within Disney+ moving into 2025, so expect to see more of it.
Are you going to check out these NFL Flag matches? Let me know on social media!
