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Shop More Disney Sports Team & Sportswear Collabs
The new frontier (erm, Frontierland) Disney has been making inroads into as of late? Sports, in an effort to reach even more fans across generations. And its latest athletic courting ritual comes in the form of the just-announced Disney x Champion NFL Collection.
A landmark partnership seeking to “fuse two of the world’s most powerful fan ecosystems — sport and storytelling,” per a press release, the collection matches all 32 NFL teams with beloved Disney, “Star Wars,” Marvel, and Pixar characters as part of a line of sweatshirts, T-shirts, and hoodies. Most will be available to shop online at fanatics.com, nflshop.com, and disneystore.com in August, after officially debuting at Fanatics Fest NYC on July 16.
For now, only eight team pairings have been unveiled — the Buffalo Bills and the Beast; the Dallas Cowboys and Woody; the Las Vegas Raiders and Darth Vader; the New England Patriots and Captain America; the New York Giants and Wreck-It Ralph; the New York Jets and Buzz Lightyear; the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Captain Hook; as well as the Washington Commanders and Hamm. These will be revealed on-stage at Fanatics Fest in an inventive Disney Fan Draft format, “reimagining the NFL Draft through an unmistakable Disney lens,” according to Disney.
The eight arrivals are shoppable exclusively at the annual convention, taking place at the Javits Center, but rest assured that the remaining two dozen — set to touch down shortly thereafter in a more widespread capacity — are just as worthy of MVP status. (You can put your name on a waitlist to get notified when your team’s Disney merch lands online.)
If you think the mashups are incongruous, think again. Disney and Champion worked from a place of intention for the entirety of this project’s extensive research and development phase. They’ve pointed out distinct team-character links like Hamm’s connection to the Commanders’ legendary offensive line “The Hogs”; Captain America’s inherent representation of leadership and patriotism, akin to what the Patriots stand for; the fact that the Cowboys and Woody are “rooted in classic cowboy iconography”; and the aviation-related parallels between the Jets and Buzz Lightyear.
“Great collaborations are built on shared cultural relevance, and that’s what made these pairings so compelling from a design perspective,” Marcus Rosie, Disney Consumer Product’s Global Creative SVP, shared exclusively with WWD. “By merging Disney’s character storytelling with the visual language of NFL fandom, we created a collection that feels equally at home in sports culture and everyday style.”
The monumental endeavor was teased earlier this month in a co-branded social media trailer starring NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
In the clip, Goodell takes professional tips from Mickey Mouse over FaceTime, alluding to the close bond the two now have vis-à-vis their respective affiliations: the NFL and Disney, both steeped in strong identity, rich legacy, and passionate fandom.
As far as crossovers with professional sports teams are concerned, Toy Story devotees will be happy to know that this is not Disney’s first rodeo, having previously launched MLB-themed trading cards across all 30 teams, collaborated with Formula 1 and the Formula 1 Academy alike, and released a Spider-Man-meets-NBA lifestyle capsule at Macy’s.
Another major step towards football-specific integration? Disney and ESPN’s “Year of the Super Bowl” campaign, gearing up for the latter’s inaugural Super Bowl broadcast with new product drops, storytelling, and fan experiences happening until February 2027.
While you wait for the Disney x Champion NFL Collection — primed to become one of the buzziest pop culture–adjacent fashion rollouts of the year — shop the below fan favorites, proceeding to show off your present-day sports obsessions alongside friendly faces from childhood.
Shop More of Disney’s Sports Team & Sportswear Collaborations
Disney x Formula 1 British 2026 Pullover Hoodie
Price upon publish date of this article: $125
Disney x F1 Academy Minnie Mouse Icon Baseball Cap for Adults
Price upon publish date of this article: $55
Marvel x NBA Adult’s Spider-Man Basketball Shorts
Price upon publish date of this article: $21.60
Adidas Brain Dead Disney Soccer Jersey
Price upon publish date of this article: $120
Adidas Brain Dead Disney Scarf
Price upon publish date of this article: $60
Brooks x runDisney Glycerin 22 Stitch Sneaker
Price upon publish date of this article: $119.95
Disney Minnie Mouse Dri-Fit Polo Shirt for Women by Nike
Price upon publish date of this article: $59.98
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Meet the Author
Stacia Datskovska is a Senior Commerce Writer at WWD. Previously, she worked at ELLE DECOR as an assistant digital editor, covering all things luxury, culture, and lifestyle through a design lens. Her bylines over the past five years have appeared in USA Today, Baltimore Sun, Teen Vogue, Boston Globe, Food & Wine, and more. Prior to joining ELLE DECOR, Datskovska learned the ins and outs of e-commerce at Mashable, where she tested products, wrote about tentpole sales events, and curated gift guide roundups. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and international relations. Datskovska regularly reports on viral fashion releases that touch the worlds of pop culture and sports.
