FOX Sports & THE SIMPSONS Collaborate to Promote FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP 2015

FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP 2015 is just under a month away, and FOX Sports has joined forces with THE SIMPSONS, one of entertainment’s most iconic brands, to spread the word from coast-to-coast.

THE SIMPSONS team has produced a special soccer-themed couch gag to open this Sunday’s (5/10) episode (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Instead of seeing the familiar couch in the Simpsons’ living room, we see a soccer goal, with Homer playing goaltender. A soccer ball comes at him, that he stops, then a second, which he also stops. Then more and more balls are fired at him faster and faster until he is stuck in the goal filled with balls. It is then we shift to Homer’s point-of-view and we see the kicker is the adorable Maggie, dressed in a U.S. Women’s National Team uniform. Next, she knees-up a ball and heads it into camera, filling the frame.

“Being able to connect the U.S. Women’s National Team with an iconic brand like THE SIMPSONS to help raise awareness for the Women’s World Cup is really quite an honor,” offered Robert Gottlieb, Executive Vice President, Marketing, FOX Sports. “The Women’s World Cup is going to be a truly cultural event in the U.S. beginning next month, and this partnership with THE SIMPSONS and Gracie Films is one of several examples of how elements of 21st Century Fox have worked together in creative ways to promote this huge tournament.”

In addition to the couch gag, three members of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team – Alex Morgan, Christen Press and Abby Wambach – join an elite group of athletes and sports personalities who have been “Simpsonized.” The life-sized “Simpsonized” likenesses of Morgan, Press and Wambach were unveiled earlier this week with the players present in Newport Beach, Calif., where the team is currently making final preparations for the FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP™ this summer in Canada.

The sports world and THE SIMPSONS have often collided, with FOX Sports personalities like Terry Bradshaw, Jimmy Johnson and Howie Long guest starring in past episodes. Other big-time athletes who have guest starred on the animated hit series include FOX NFL lead game analyst Troy Aikman, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Venus and Serena Williams. Even world-renowned soccer stars Cristiano Ronaldo and members of Chelsea F.C. have been so honored.

In the first of three send-off matches, the USWNT faces Ireland on Sunday, May 10 with coverage on FOX Sports 1 beginning at 2:00 PM ET, live from Avaya Stadium in San Jose. Fans attending the match in-person have the opportunity to have their pictures taken with the Morgan, Press and Wambach “Simpsonized” standees in a customized photo booth, then upload the images to a social media account.