The Venice Beach Boardwalk turned into a football fan zone this week, as Hulu brought the world of Chad Powers to life with a pop-up experience celebrating the show's Season 2 premiere. Fans tested their football skills in a makeshift end zone, snacked on Southern-style food truck fare, and posed with Chad Powers lookalikes who marched through the crowd chanting and high-stepping.
The activation coincided with the six-episode second season of Chad Powers dropping in full on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. Fans who attended the Venice Beach pop-up could win exclusive Chad Powers merchandise, and a Catfish Country food truck operating across Los Angeles served up South Georgia catfish po'boy fries topped with cheese, jalapeño and scallions, along with complimentary Deep & Wide sweet tea. Chad Powers lookalikes also popped up elsewhere around Los Angeles beyond the boardwalk itself, per the outlet.
A Prank That Became a Streaming Hit
Chad Powers began not as a scripted show but as a viral sports-media stunt. In August 2022, retired NFL quarterback Eli Manning conducted an undercover walk-on tryout at Penn State; he later donned prosthetics and a wig as Chad Powers in 2023 as part of ESPN+'s Eli's Places, produced by Omaha Productions, as detailed by Sports Illustrated. The video racked up millions of views, and Penn State even sold t-shirts featuring Manning's fictional persona in the aftermath.
The character's now-familiar catchphrase, “Think fast, run fast,” traces directly back to that original prank before it was woven into the scripted series penned by Glen Powell and Michael Waldron, according to TheWrap. The phrase became associated with the sketch's viral run. Waldron previously served as head writer on Marvel Studios' Loki and co-wrote Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, per background compiled on Wikipedia, while the series itself is produced by 20th Television with Peyton and Eli Manning executive producing through Omaha Productions alongside ESPN.
Season 2's Story and Cast
Season 2 follows disgraced former quarterback Russ Holliday, played by Powell, as he scrambles to protect his Chad Powers disguise with help from team staffer Ricky, played by Perry Mattfeld. The ensemble also includes Steve Zahn as Coach Jake Hudson, Quentin Plair as Coach Byrd, and Frankie A. Rodriguez as Danny. Season 1 debuted on September 30, 2025, using a weekly rollout after an initial two-episode drop, a shift from Season 2's full binge release of all six episodes at once.
The show's rapid turnaround has been notable: after its 2025 debut, Chad Powers became one of Hulu's top comedy hits of the year and earned a Season 2 renewal within months, according to What's On Disney Plus. Its rise has taken the show from a viral character concept to a full narrative series.
Why Venice Beach, and What It Took
Staging a splashy activation on the Venice Beach Boardwalk is no small logistical lift. The stretch draws roughly 30,000 visitors a day and 11 million annually, and organizers must file special event permit applications at least eight weeks ahead through the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, with separate Los Angeles Fire Department plot plan approvals required for any event involving temporary structures. Those permitting requirements help explain why a studio marketing push needs an official permit rather than a standard vendor spot.
The Chad Powers activation fits into a broader pattern of Disney and Hulu leaning into real-world, immersive fan events across Los Angeles as the companies fold Hulu's library into the Disney+ app for bundle subscribers. Disney and Hulu previously staged the Throwbacks Mini Mall pop-up at Westfield Century City in June 2026, which drew more than 3,400 visitors, according to BizBash. The activation also reflects the appeal of Venice Beach's boardwalk as a setting for branded events.
Glen Powell's Track Record With Fan Stunts
Lead actor Glen Powell is associated with Anyone But You and Top Gun: Maverick.
ABC7's report notes that Walt Disney Company owns Disney+, Hulu and ABC7 itself. Season 2 of Chad Powers is now streaming in full on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+, giving Los Angeles fans who caught the Venice Beach pop-up — or the lookalikes wandering elsewhere around the city — a chance to dive straight into the South Georgia Catfish's playoff run.
