‘Monsters Funday Football’: Louisiana Philharmonic Delivers Again With Orchestral Mashup of ‘MNF’ Theme and ‘Monsters, Inc.’ Score

ESPN, APM Music, Rival Music partner again for a jazz-infused Round 2 of football fun

When ESPN set out to score Monsters Funday Football, its latest real-time animated alternative broadcast, the creative brief was as bold as it was bizarre: blend one of the most recognizable themes in sports television — Johnny Pearson’s aggressive, helmet-smashing “Heavy Action” for Monday Night Football — with Randy Newman’s unmistakably playful, jazz-forward soundscape from Monsters, Inc.

For ESPN’s production of Monsters Funday Football, the Louisiana Philharmonic orchestrated a mix of the musical score from the Disney/Pixar film Monsters, Inc. and the theme music of Monday Night Football, “Heavy Action.” (Photos: APM Music)

To the less musically inclined, that may sound like one of two extremes: simple or impossible. But to the team responsible for stitching together those two worlds — APM Music, Rival Music, and members of the uber-talented Louisiana Philharmonic — the project was a sophisticated act of musical engineering.

“We’re always being asked to meld two totally different worlds into something cohesive,” says Robert Navarro, creative director, APM Music. “But Monsters, Inc. has so much inherent swing, and ‘Heavy Action’ has absolutely none of that. So the question became, How do we take Johnny Pearson’s straight-ahead sports cue and make it swing?”

Finding the Swing

The Monsters, Inc. score — composed by Randy Newman and loaded with bass harmonica, bass accordion, muted brass, and a distinctly New Orleans spirit — is instantly recognizable. Navarro describes it as having “those opening little jazzy flourishes” that signal the tone before a note of melody is even played.

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Pearson’s “Heavy Action,” meanwhile, sits in an entirely different rhythmic universe. Written in 1970, the theme is built on driving eighth notes and tightly orchestrated brass — the opposite of Newman’s loose, swaggering jazz feel. Translating one into the other took weeks of experimentation. At one point, Navarro found himself beating time on his chest while humming “Heavy Action” as a swing tune over the phone.

“It sounds silly, but that unlocked it,” he says. “Once we found that swing feel, once we could hear ‘Heavy Action’ living inside the Monsters world, the rest of the process clicked.”

Producer Jeff Rona and orchestrator/conductor Jay Weigel began shaping the arrangement from that moment forward. Their task: preserve the DNA of both themes while letting the fusion feel inevitable.

Meanwhile, Concertmaster Hannah Yim and the Louisiana Philharmonic would carry the melodic signature. New Orleans jazz stalwarts — Tony Dagradi on sax, Greg Agid on clarinet, Charlie Halloran on trombone, and David McKiffick on trumpet — were brought in to supply the improvisatory spark that defines the Newman sound.

Why New Orleans Made Sense

Trombonist Charlie Halloran is one of numerous elite musicians from the New Orleans area featured on the recording.

For APM Music’s Ezra Broder, who worked on a similar project last year for ESPN’s MNF mashup with The Simpsons, the location choice was obvious as soon as he revisited the Monsters, Inc. theme.

“As soon as it started, I was like, ‘Oh, this has to be done in New Orleans,’” he says. “The feel is perfect. And it made total sense to go back to Esplanade Studios with the same musicians who did the Simpsons project.”

Familiarity paid off. The orchestra at Esplanade already understood the pressure and pace of a high-profile broadcast project, and the returning players recognized both the demands and the creative freedom inherent in these mashups.

But this year’s recording session unfolded differently. Instead of tracking the full orchestra, the team recorded strings first, then horns, then the jazz ensemble, layering each group’s contributions.

“At first, you’re hearing only slices of the piece,” Broder recalls. “But, as it builds, you can suddenly hear it all coming together. By the end, you know it’s going to be something special.”

Inside the Session at Esplanade Studios

Weigel conducted the sessions while engineer James Hill shaped the soundstage, capturing both orchestral precision and the atmospheric looseness Newman’s score demands. Working alongside Rona, Rival Music’s Ben MacDougall supported production of a piece that required both discipline and playfulness.

Members of the Louisiana Philharmonic also took part in a similar project last year when “Heavy Action” was blended with the theme from iconic cartoon series The Simpsons.

The separation of sections — strings alone, horns alone, jazz ensemble alone — added complexity but also created clarity. The orchestra could lean into Pearson’s bold harmonic structure, while the jazz players could push the rhythmic elasticity Newman is known for.

And the jazz ensemble’s contributions weren’t merely ornamental; they became the heart of the hybrid sound. Navarro recalls moments when the improvisations elevated the entire arrangement.

“These guys are heavy hitters,” Broder says. “Touring musicians, respected educators, major names in New Orleans jazz. You can’t replicate that energy with a machine.”

A Human Project in an AI Era

In an industry increasingly confronted by AI-generated music, Navarro and Broder are blunt about what sets these sessions apart.

“I don’t think AI could make this,” Broder says. “It wouldn’t understand the nuance of Randy Newman or the feel of ‘Heavy Action.’”

Navarro concurs: “The human depth, the interplay, the choices, the instinct — that’s what makes this work. That’s what people respond to.”

APM, he adds, has taken a firm stance: all music in its catalog is “human created, human curated.” The company does not accept AI-generated compositions. That philosophy proved essential on a project like this. The Monstropolis-meets-MNF score works precisely because of the musicians who played it: the improvisations, the sectional phrasing, the intangible lilt that can’t be notated.

A Growing Appetite for Custom Music Across Sports

Although ESPN’s altcasts have been the most visible platform for these hybrid arrangements, the broader sports-production industry is driving a significant increase in demand for custom music. The rise of cross-platform branding and deeper IP integration has accelerated the trend.

According to APM VP, Sports Entertainment, Matthew Gutknecht, rightsholders increasingly want unique musical identities that reflect their audience and can span broadcast, digital, and in-venue environments. He notes that the company delivered more original work this year than ever before. Teams and leagues are seeking new broadcast opens, reimagined crowd prompts, fan-specific themes, and brand-refresh compositions.

The Monsters Funday Football score is simply the most high-profile recent example — and perhaps the most technically complex.

“It’s all about collaboration,” Gutknecht says. “People trust us to do things that haven’t been done before.”