Angel, Stitch’s intergalactic bestie from Disney’s Lilo & Stitch: The Series, makes her Dunk the Halls debut as the star of Angel’s Halftime Video Dance Party.
Spurs and Knicks face off in a 2026 NBA Finals rematch in a virtual Magic Kingdom® Park setting filled with festive décor, snowfall and surprises
Produced in collaboration with Sony’s Beyond Sports, with tracking data from Sony’s Hawk-Eye Innovations
Disney, ESPN and the NBA are teaming up once again to present Dunk the Halls, the third real-time, animated NBA game using Sony’s Beyond Sports data visualization technology, on Christmas Day at noon ET, when the New York Knicks host the San Antonio Spurs in a rematch of the 2026 NBA Finals. The innovative alternate presentation will be available on ESPN2, Disney+, Disney Channel and the ESPN App.
The Setting
The virtual, live re-creation of the Spurs vs. Knicks game will once again unfold on “Main Street, U.S.A.” in Magic Kingdom® Park at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, Pluto, Chip and Dale and Stitch will return, joined for the first time by Angel, Stitch’s intergalactic bestie from Disney’s Lilo & Stitch: The Series, who makes her Dunk the Halls debut.
Shots of “Main Street, U.S.A.” and iconic landmarks like Cinderella Castle will appear throughout, transformed with festive décor, snowfall and other Disney-inspired surprises.
The Story
Mickey’s Christmas wish to Santa Claus once again brings the NBA to Magic Kingdom® for a magical, animated matchup. This year, Angel, also known as Experiment 624, joins Stitch and the rest of the Disney crew for the Christmas Day celebration, bringing even more out-of-this-world fun to the latest Dunk the Halls adventure.
What's New This Year
Angel makes her first-ever Dunk the Halls appearance and headlines Angel’s Halftime Video Dance Party.
Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, Angel and Stitch will take part in the game.
New “Main Street Memories” will revisit the dunk contest from the original Dunk the Halls and last year’s Christmas Parade.
New Hidden Mickeys, visual gags and Christmas memories from NBA stars will appear throughout the presentation.
The Technology
Each player will appear as a motion-tracked animated version of themselves, captured live through Sony’s Beyond Sports real-time visualization technology. Its advanced player modelling translates the live action into natural, authentic character movement within the animated world. Optical tracking data is provided by Sony’s Hawk-Eye Innovations. Viewers will see every dunk, layup and pass from the actual game at Madison Square Garden as it happens.
Production Highlights
Angel’s Halftime Video Dance Party will feature a large video screen in the middle of Main Street, U.S.A., with Disney characters and dancing gingerbread people joining the fun.
Santa’s elves will return as camera operators, with Santa operating ESPN’s “SkyCam.”
Disney friends will deliver locker room speeches and decorate a massive Christmas tree during the broadcast.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver returns to Dunk the Halls to make a special appearance.
Fans can look forward to Disney and NBA trivia, sideline antics from the Disney crew and finding out how many churros Goofy can eat this year.
Commentators
Drew Carter, Monica McNutt and Daisy Duck will reprise their roles from last year’s Dunk the Halls presentation. Carter will once again serve as play-by-play commentator alongside ESPN basketball analyst McNutt, while Daisy Duck returns as sideline reporter.
Carter and McNutt will again be animated in the style of the telecast and don ESPN Edge Innovation Partner Meta Quest Pro headsets to experience the game from “Main Street, U.S.A.” through VR technology and Sony’s Beyond Sports Virtual Commentator Technology.
The traditional Spurs vs. Knicks telecast on ABC and ESPN will feature Mike Breen and Richard Jefferson and Tim Legler on commentary with Lisa Salters reporting from courtside.
Dunk the Halls continues ESPN and the NBA’s well-documented history of innovation, including alternate presentations that utilize the unmatched depth and scope of The Walt Disney Company. In 2021, ESPN and the NBA teamed up with Marvel for “Marvel’s Arena of Heroes,” an alternate presentation of an NBA regular-season game.
ESPN also continues to expand its real-time animation efforts across sports, including the recent announcement of Star Wars Funday Football, a real-time, animated alternate presentation of Super Bowl LXI set in the Star Wars galaxy. The presentation will stream live on Disney+ and the ESPN App and air on Disney Channel and Disney XD on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2027.
All five NBA Christmas Day presented by State Farm games on December 25 will air on both ESPN and ABC. The action begins at noon ET when the San Antonio Spurs and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama visit the defending NBA Champion New York Knicks and Finals MVP Jalen Brunson in an NBA Finals rematch, which will also stream live on Disney+. For the full Christmas Day lineup, visit ESPN and ABC’s 2026-27 NBA regular-season broadcast schedule.
