Mickey's Pep Talk for Roger Goodell Has Fans Buzzing as Disney, the NFL, and Champion Take Over Fanatics Fest NYC

A Disney video of Mickey Mouse advising NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to smile more is lighting up Disney fandom — and it teases a real collaboration between Disney, the NFL, and Champion at Fanatics Fest NYC, July 16-19 at the Javits Center. Goodell and Taylor Rooks will host a 'Disney Fan Draft' on July 16, and a Disney Fan Zone with exclusive merchandise runs all festival long.

A video call between Mickey Mouse and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has Disney fans buzzing — and it's more than a gag. The clip, shared by Disney on social media Monday, sets the stage for a new collaboration between Disney, the NFL, and apparel brand Champion at Fanatics Fest NYC, the four-day sports fan festival running July 16–19 at the Javits Center in New York City.

Mickey's Advice for the Commissioner

In the video, Goodell hops on a call with Mickey to ask for advice on how to win people over. Mickey's counsel? Smile more. "OK, I'll try it your way, thanks Mickey," Goodell deadpans — a rare bit of self-aware comedy from a commissioner not exactly famous for his warm reception at league events. The pairing of the most famous mouse in entertainment with one of the most scrutinized executives in sports is precisely the kind of crossover moment fans immediately started sharing.

A 'Beloved Sports Tradition' Through a Disney Lens

Alongside the video, Disney announced Monday that it will join the NFL and Champion for a special collaboration at Fanatics Fest NYC. The centerpiece lands on Thursday, July 16, when Goodell and sports journalist Taylor Rooks host an event that will "reimagine a beloved sports tradition through an unmistakably Disney lens," according to Disney Consumer Products. That tradition is the draft: Disney has been teasing the gathering as a Disney Fan Draft, putting a Disney spin on football's signature offseason ritual. The announcement was covered by ABC News' Good Morning America — fittingly, since The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of ABC News.

The Disney Fan Zone

Disney's presence extends across all four days of the festival. Attendees can visit the Disney Fan Zone, described as a destination featuring "exclusive merchandise, immersive experiences, surprise-and-delight Disney moments." For collectors, event-exclusive Disney merchandise at a sports memorabilia festival is an unusual crossover — expect the limited pieces, particularly anything from the Champion collaboration, to move fast.

Disney and the NFL: A Deepening Relationship

The collaboration is the latest sign of how intertwined Disney and the NFL have become. Disney's ESPN and ABC are cornerstone NFL broadcast partners — home of Monday Night Football and part of the Super Bowl rotation — and NFL Draft coverage now streams on Disney+. Fanatics Fest itself, launched in 2024 by sports merchandise giant Fanatics, has quickly become a marquee gathering for sports fandom; adding Mickey Mouse to the mix pulls Disney's family audience into that world, while Champion brings decades of athletic-apparel heritage to the merchandise side.

Why Fans Are Buzzing

Part of the excitement is simple novelty: Mickey Mouse trading quips with Roger Goodell is an image nobody had on their 2026 bingo card. But the bigger intrigue is what a "Disney Fan Draft" actually looks like — will fans draft characters, films, park attractions? Disney is keeping the details under wraps until July 16, and that mystery is doing exactly what it's designed to do. For Disney fans in the New York area, Fanatics Fest just became a must-watch weekend; for everyone else, expect the Fan Zone exclusives and whatever happens on that draft stage to dominate Disney social feeds mid-July.