NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL’s Pro Bowl Games will return to Orlando next year.
The league announced Thursday that Orlando will host the multi-day event in February pitting 88 of the league’s top players in an AFC-vs.-NFC format. The league revamped the Pro Bowl into this format starting after the 2022 season, featuring a mix of live and taped skills competitions and a flag football game.
The NFL said last year’s event drew more than 55,000 fans to Orlando as well 6 million viewers across Disney-connected outlets. The league said the skills challenges averaged 1.2 million viewers on ESPN in prime time, up 9% from the year before.
The format includes former quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning as head coaches, as well as former players Ray Lewis, DeMarcus Ware, Wes Welker and Keenan McCardell acting as coordinators. The change to the Pro Bowl format came after feedback from players, teams and fans as interest in a traditional Pro Bowl game waned.
Orlando hosted Pro Bowls from 2017-20 before taking on the Pro Bowl Games last year.
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