NHL’s ‘Big City Greens Classic’ returning in March

ESPN, Disney, and the NHL and bringing back the Big City Greens Classic for another edition in March.

Per a Friday release, the next edition of the Big City Greens Classic will take place on March 9 for the Penguins-Bruins game. While a traditional broadcast of the game will air on both ABC and ESPN+, the Big City Greens alternate broadcast will be available on Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney+, and ESPN+.

Last year, the Big City Greens Classic aired on March 14 during a Rangers-Capitals game.

This season, Disney and the NHL are leaning even more into the Big City Greens theme. Here’s more from the release.

• The presentation will blend two types of tracking technologies – NHL EDGE positional data (NHL Puck and Player tracking) and Hawk-Eye Innovations optical tracking – to create more dynamic player and character movement to help fans better visualize detailed limb and stick movement and mannerisms.
• With the blessing of captains Brad Marchand and Sidney Crosby, “Big City Greens’” very own Gramma will coach the Bruins, while her grandson, Cricket, will coach the Penguins.
• The ESPN commentators calling the action on the animated telecast – Drew Carter, Kevin Weekes and Arda Öcal – will wear virtual reality headsets for motion capture, to immerse them in the animated environment of Times Circle.
• “Big City Greens” voice talent will also be featured in the presentation, including creator and executive producer Chris Houghton (Cricket), Marieve Herington (Tilly), Zeno Robinson (Remy), Artemis Pebdani (Gramma) and creator and executive producer Shane Houghton (various characters).
• The two intermissions of the game will feature an animated skills competition between the “Big City Greens” characters.

Last fall, the NFL got an animated broadcast of its own, but it was Toy Story-themed. The alternate broadcast of the Falcons-Jaguars game from London received positive feedback from the target audience, which is all Disney could have asked for from it.

Based on the success of the two broadcasts last year, I’d fully expect to see other sports getting animated alternate broadcasts going forward. Just imagine the reaction to an animated MLB game this summer from the traditionalists.

[ESPN]