NEW YORK — Oct. 22, 2025 — The NFL will move the 2026 Pro Bowl Games presented by Verizon to Super Bowl LX Week in the Bay Area. The all-star event will continue to spotlight flag football and feature the league's best players in an AFC versus NFC flag game, which will preview the elite athleticism and competition of the sport ahead of its LA28 Olympics debut. The revamped programming gives the league's best athletes an opportunity to compete during the NFL's biggest week of the year, surrounded by their families, friends and select fans, and provides all fans with a must-see TV event that helps culminate the end of the season.
"Building on our strong partnerships with the Bay Area Host Committee and ESPN, we're thrilled to make the 2026 Pro Bowl Games presented by Verizon part of Super Bowl week, our biggest platform of the year, elevating flag football and our best players in a way that's never been done before," said Peter O'Reilly, NFL executive vice president of events, international and club business. "The Pro Bowl Games will not only be an exciting showcase of our best talent, but also a taste of the elite athleticism and dynamic action we can expect to see on the Olympic stage."
The 2026 Pro Bowl Games will be an exclusively televised event broadcasted from the Moscone Center, which will transform into a flag football arena that lends itself to a vibrant TV production backdrop. Coverage of the Pro Bowl Games will begin on ESPN starting at 6:30 p.m. ET with the flag game at 8:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Feb. 3. The game will air on ESPN, Disney XD and ESPN Deportes. In advance of the flag matchup, ESPN will preview the week with a dedicated Pro Bowl show highlighting the rosters and player stories on Sunday, Feb. 1, airing an NFL Live special at 11 a.m. ET and more Pro Bowl Games content on ABC at 12 p.m. ET.
"We are dedicated to making the Pro Bowl Games a prime-time television event that will enhance Super Bowl week," said Burke Magnus, ESPN president of content. "Our shared vision focuses on using a production approach that spotlights the world's best players in a manner unique to the Pro Bowl Games format, while highlighting flag football and its emergence on the global sports landscape."
Flag football continues to be an integral part of the NFL's participation and development strategy. As the most inclusive, accessible football format, it is one of the world's fastest growing sports with more than 20 million players across 100 countries. In partnership with the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), flag was confirmed on the program for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, marking a historic moment for the sport and the global flag community. NFL clubs recently approved allowing players to compete in the LA28 Games, and the league is discussing the terms of such participation with the NFLPA. The football format will not only continue to be part of Pro Bowl Games but will become the hallmark of the all-star event, which will focus on the NFL's top athletes playing each other in a high-level competitive flag game, as well as additional flag activities at all levels going on throughout the week.
For the AFC versus NFC flag football game, the format will be 7-on-7. The game will take place on a 50-yard field with 10-yard end zones, with scoring plays worth the traditional six (6) points with a 1-point conversion from the 5-yard line, and a 2-point conversion option from the 10-yard line.
The all-star event will maintain the fan-favorite element of voting, with Pro Bowl Vote presented by Jersey Mike's starting on Thanksgiving, Nov. 27. Fans can vote as often as they would like to help determine the NFC and AFC team rosters and send the league's best players at each position to the Bay Area. Fan voting will take place across a variety of platforms. Player selections will be finalized by the consensus votes of fans, players and coaches, with each group's vote counting as one-third toward determining the AFC and NFC rosters. The NFL is the only sports league that combines voting by fans, coaches and players to create its all-star teams. New this year, the league and its partners will collectively celebrate the AFC and NFC rosters in new elevated ways, including unique highlight packages, in-stadium moments, broadcast integration, helmet decals and more.
Further into the season, the NFL will provide additional details surrounding the 2026 Pro Bowl Games presented by Verizon.
