ESPN fantasy football draft to air live from a United Airlines flight

Disney Advertising and United Airlines (NASDAQ: UAL) have announced that the 2026 ESPN Fantasy Football Draft will feature a participant making live picks from aboard a United Airlines flight at 35,000 feet, using Starlink satellite Wi-Fi.

The broadcast is scheduled for August 25 from 9 to 11 p.m. ET on ESPN and will be co-streamed on the NFL on ESPN YouTube channel.

ESPN host and fantasy analyst Tyler Fulghum will participate in the draft from the United flight, while NFL Insider Field Yates, analyst Mike Clay, writer Liz Loza, and others will draft from ESPN's broadcast studio in Bristol, Connecticut. ESPN social correspondent Omar Raja will share behind-the-scenes content across social media channels before, during, and after the flight.

Fulghum will also film a commercial on board during the event. The spot, produced by Disney Advertising, ESPN, and United, will air as part of ESPN's 2026 Fantasy Football Marathon broadcast coverage.

"Sports fans don't want to miss the moments they care about – especially when they're traveling. Fantasy Football draft day is a can't-miss event for millions of fans, and until now, being in the air could mean handing over your picks to auto-draft. Starlink Wi-Fi on United flights is changing that," said Maggie Schmerin, United's Chief Advertising Officer.

United signed an agreement with SpaceX in 2024 to bring Starlink Wi-Fi to its mainline and regional aircraft fleet, available at no cost to MileagePlus members. Starlink is currently active on more than 500 United mainline and United Express aircraft.

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