Stop-Motion and Cheeseheads: Stoopid Buddy Stoodios Animates the Green Bay Packers’ 2026 Schedule ; The Colts Do “The Simpsons”
In the modern NFL, the annual schedule release has evolved from a routine press release into a highly competitive arms race of digital content. For the 2026 season, the Green Bay Packers have raised the bar by teaming up with the multi-Emmy-winning stop-motion animation powerhouse Stoopid Buddy Stoodios—the creative minds behind Adult Swim’s Robot Chicken and Hulu’s Crossing Swords.
The result? A hilariously chaotic multimedia campaign that perfectly blends high-concept animation, internet gaming culture, and an overwhelming amount of cheese.
A Passion Project Born in Burbank
The collaboration was conceptualized and directed by Stoopid Buddy Stoodios co-owner John Harvatine IV. For Harvatine, a lifelong Packers fan, the project was a dream come true. “My two favorite things in the world are stop-motion and the Packers, so this was both a joy and a no-brainer,” he shared.
The production was a massive undertaking, developed and entirely produced over the course of a single month at the studio’s offices in Burbank, California. A team of 15 local artists meticulously handcrafted every physical asset from scratch, including the miniature sets, props, custom puppets of NFL players, and a massive horde of sentient orange cheese curds.
The Animated Arms Race: Colts Channel ‘The Simpsons’
The Packers weren’t the only ones turning to premium animation to dominate social media feeds this cycle. Raising the stakes in the NFL’s internet culture arms race, the Indianapolis Colts dropped a spectacular Simpsons-themed schedule release video of their own.
Produced with full cooperation from Disney and utilizing the actual creators, illustrators, and voice actors of the legendary show, the video transforms the classic intro sequence into “Springfield-anapolis.” It features brilliant gags like Bart Simpson writing “WE WILL NOT INCLUDE TYREEK HILL IN THESE VIDEOS” on the chalkboard, Lisa playing a saxophone solo past portraits of Peyton Manning, and the Colts’ offensive line piling onto the iconic family couch. The video then brilliantly rolls through their 18-week schedule using flawlessly matched, deep-cut clips from the show’s massive 800-plus episode catalog.
By prioritizing storytelling, hand-crafted art, and legendary pop-culture crossovers, teams like the Packers and Colts have delivered unforgettable reveals—proving that when it comes to content, the NFL’s creative departments are operating like major Hollywood studios.
