Emotions to run high on Capitals-Rangers 'Inside Out' airing

"The alternative broadcast -- airing on ESPN+, Disney+, Disney Channel and Disney XD with a 7 p.m. ET start -- will feature "Inside Out" characters skating with animated versions of the NHL players who will mimic the actions of their real-world counterparts. The game will take place on Hockey Island inside the mind of Riley, the teenage hockey player whose emotions are the main characters in the Pixar films."

"This is the third ESPN/NHL real-time animated presentation based on the league's puck and player tracking technology. When the NHL started its new media rights deals in 2021, brainstorming began on ways to use that technology for an alternative virtual broadcast."

""In a really short window, it kind of exploded. At one point, we were just thinking of doing something a little small," David Lehanski, the NHL's senior vice president of business development and global partnerships, said at the time. "Then it quickly grew and grew because of the buy-in from Disney.""

The Washington Capitals and New York Rangers will participate in the "Inside Out Classic," an innovative alternative broadcast airing on ESPN+, Disney+, Disney Channel, and Disney XD. The game features animated versions of NHL players skating alongside Inside Out characters on Hockey Island, the setting from Riley's mind in the Pixar films. Voice talent from the Inside Out franchise, including Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Tony Hale, and Maya Hawke, will provide commentary. This represents the third ESPN/NHL real-time animated presentation utilizing the league's advanced puck and player tracking technology. The concept emerged from the 2021 media rights deals and builds on previous successful broadcasts featuring Big City Greens characters, which included creative elements like character intermission interviews and an animated chicken referee.

Read at ESPN.com