ESPN spent last year building up Peyton and Eli Manning as the curators of a loose, bar-talk like show meant as an alternative to its traditional “Monday Night Football.” Now the Disney-backed sports giant is focusing on the main event.
ESPN has signed the two main figures behind Fox Sports’ football presentations, Troy Aikman and Joe Buck, in a bid to strengthen the main “Mnf” booth. The deal, which has been anticipated for several days, will put two of sports’ most-watched game-day figures at the helm of ESPN’s signature offering.
“When you have the opportunity to bring in the iconic, longest-running NFL broadcasting duo, you take it, especially at a time when we are on the cusp of a new era in our expanding relationship with the NFL,” said Jimmy Pitaro, chairman, ESPN and sports content for Disney, in a statement. “The NFL continues to ascend, and we now...
ESPN has signed the two main figures behind Fox Sports’ football presentations, Troy Aikman and Joe Buck, in a bid to strengthen the main “Mnf” booth. The deal, which has been anticipated for several days, will put two of sports’ most-watched game-day figures at the helm of ESPN’s signature offering.
“When you have the opportunity to bring in the iconic, longest-running NFL broadcasting duo, you take it, especially at a time when we are on the cusp of a new era in our expanding relationship with the NFL,” said Jimmy Pitaro, chairman, ESPN and sports content for Disney, in a statement. “The NFL continues to ascend, and we now...
- 3/16/2022
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
ESPN executives have been trying since 2018 to convince Peyton Manning to join the in-studio broadcast team for their flagship “Monday Night Football.” Now they may be happier that he turned down those overtures.
That’s because the retired NFL quarterback has gained traction with an alternate “Monday Night Football” telecast for ESPN2 that he began hosting with his younger brother, Eli, another former all-star Qb, in September. The stakes couldn’t be higher for ESPN, the NFL or the TV business — even though the decidedly low-tech broadcast, which quickly came to be known as “ManningCast,” feels like a cross between hanging out in a sports bar and a glorified Zoom session.
The brothers have held forth for 10 Monday nights during the 2021 NFL season, offering live banter and crosstalk alongside the same feed of the game being broadcast on ESPN and sometimes ABC. Football fans who want traditional play-by-play game coverage...
That’s because the retired NFL quarterback has gained traction with an alternate “Monday Night Football” telecast for ESPN2 that he began hosting with his younger brother, Eli, another former all-star Qb, in September. The stakes couldn’t be higher for ESPN, the NFL or the TV business — even though the decidedly low-tech broadcast, which quickly came to be known as “ManningCast,” feels like a cross between hanging out in a sports bar and a glorified Zoom session.
The brothers have held forth for 10 Monday nights during the 2021 NFL season, offering live banter and crosstalk alongside the same feed of the game being broadcast on ESPN and sometimes ABC. Football fans who want traditional play-by-play game coverage...
- 2/10/2022
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
The NFL has set another multiplatform deal for this season’s wild card playoff games.
ESPN owner the Walt Disney Company and the NFL announced a five year rights agreement for ESPN to present a new Monday night Wild Card game beginning with the 2021 season and continuing through the 2025 season. The agreement was announced today by Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, ESPN and Sports Content at the CAA World Congress of Sports.
The inaugural Monday night NFL Wild Card game will be played on January 17, 2022 at 8:15 p.m. Et, marking the grand finale of the NFL’s Super Wild Card Weekend. It will be the first scheduled weekday prime time NFL playoff game.
As part of the deal, ESPN’s MegaCast production will provide fans multiple ways to watch. ABC and ESPN will air the traditional telecast with Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Louis Riddick, Lisa Salters and John Parry on the call.
ESPN owner the Walt Disney Company and the NFL announced a five year rights agreement for ESPN to present a new Monday night Wild Card game beginning with the 2021 season and continuing through the 2025 season. The agreement was announced today by Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, ESPN and Sports Content at the CAA World Congress of Sports.
The inaugural Monday night NFL Wild Card game will be played on January 17, 2022 at 8:15 p.m. Et, marking the grand finale of the NFL’s Super Wild Card Weekend. It will be the first scheduled weekday prime time NFL playoff game.
As part of the deal, ESPN’s MegaCast production will provide fans multiple ways to watch. ABC and ESPN will air the traditional telecast with Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Louis Riddick, Lisa Salters and John Parry on the call.
- 10/13/2021
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
ESPN and The Walt Disney Company will feature Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Peyton Manning his brother, Eli, in “megacasts” of Monday Night Football across ESPN2 and other Disney outlets.
The arrangement with Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions starts with games in the fall and will cover 30 games over the next three seasons.
Each Manning-centric game will be on ESPN2 and then could also be on ESPN+ or other properties. The broadcasts will complement the mother-ship Monday Night Football telecast on ESPN and/or ABC each week.
The goal of the setup, like other alternate feeds deployed by networks and streaming services in recent years, is to explore new methods of viewer engagement. The Big 4 broadcast networks along with Amazon signed deals with the NFL that start in 2022 and run for more than a decade. The pacts afford flexibility to rights holders to tweak their traditional programming approaches.
Steve Levy, Brian Griese,...
The arrangement with Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions starts with games in the fall and will cover 30 games over the next three seasons.
Each Manning-centric game will be on ESPN2 and then could also be on ESPN+ or other properties. The broadcasts will complement the mother-ship Monday Night Football telecast on ESPN and/or ABC each week.
The goal of the setup, like other alternate feeds deployed by networks and streaming services in recent years, is to explore new methods of viewer engagement. The Big 4 broadcast networks along with Amazon signed deals with the NFL that start in 2022 and run for more than a decade. The pacts afford flexibility to rights holders to tweak their traditional programming approaches.
Steve Levy, Brian Griese,...
- 7/19/2021
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Brothers Eli and Peyton Manning have been recruited to anchor an “alternate” Monday Night Football telecast for the next three seasons.
The ESPN2 Monday Night Football MegaCast, as it has been dubbed, will feature the Mannings joined by current and former NFL players and celebrities. A host for the broadcast, which will cover 10 games in each of the next three seasons, has not been named.
More from TVLineNBC's College Bowl Reboot, Hosted by Peyton Manning, Gets Summer LaunchTV Ratings: Mnf Blowout Finale Tops Quiet Night, L.A.'s Finest Goes LowTVLine Items: Anne Heche Cops All Rise Arc, Willow Series Casts 3 and More
Steve Levy,...
The ESPN2 Monday Night Football MegaCast, as it has been dubbed, will feature the Mannings joined by current and former NFL players and celebrities. A host for the broadcast, which will cover 10 games in each of the next three seasons, has not been named.
More from TVLineNBC's College Bowl Reboot, Hosted by Peyton Manning, Gets Summer LaunchTV Ratings: Mnf Blowout Finale Tops Quiet Night, L.A.'s Finest Goes LowTVLine Items: Anne Heche Cops All Rise Arc, Willow Series Casts 3 and More
Steve Levy,...
- 7/19/2021
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
ESPN has landed a talent touchdown.
After years of trying to secure top sports celebrities to boost its flagship “Monday Night Football” coverage, the Disney-backed sports outlet said it has enlisted both Peyton and Eli Manning to co-anchor a second broadcast of its signature show, starting this fall. The famous football brothers will lead the new broadcast on ESPN2, and the sports-media giant said it may also place their show on its streaming-video ESPN Plus. The pair will start their duties in the fall of 2021 and continue through the 2023 season, handling a total of 30 games over three seasons.
“Offering multiple ‘Monday Night Football’ viewing options for the next three seasons continues our innovation efforts and provides additional value for our fans,” said Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of ESPN and sports content for Disney. “Peyton and Eli will bring a different approach, delving into conversation about broader, big-picture topics while also honing in on the game,...
After years of trying to secure top sports celebrities to boost its flagship “Monday Night Football” coverage, the Disney-backed sports outlet said it has enlisted both Peyton and Eli Manning to co-anchor a second broadcast of its signature show, starting this fall. The famous football brothers will lead the new broadcast on ESPN2, and the sports-media giant said it may also place their show on its streaming-video ESPN Plus. The pair will start their duties in the fall of 2021 and continue through the 2023 season, handling a total of 30 games over three seasons.
“Offering multiple ‘Monday Night Football’ viewing options for the next three seasons continues our innovation efforts and provides additional value for our fans,” said Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of ESPN and sports content for Disney. “Peyton and Eli will bring a different approach, delving into conversation about broader, big-picture topics while also honing in on the game,...
- 7/19/2021
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
ESPN has expanded its first “MegaCast” of Sunday’s NFL Wild Card playoff game to include streaming service ESPN+ and five Disney networks: ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, Freeform and ESPN Deportes.
The Baltimore Ravens-Tennessee Titans matchup will also include a halftime performance by DJ Khaled airing exclusively on Freeform, during a “watch party” hosted by the network.
The game kicks off at 1Pm Et in the middle of a six-game weekend playoff blitz. The NFL added an extra wild card team to both of its conferences before this season, in a bid to heighten the postseason drama. Heading into yesterday’s games, as many as 35 different game combinations were possible before the final matchups were determined.
The MegaCast will see the traditional telecast on ESPN and ABC, with enhanced production elements. The Monday Night Football commentator team of Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Louis Riddick and Lisa Salters with officiating...
The Baltimore Ravens-Tennessee Titans matchup will also include a halftime performance by DJ Khaled airing exclusively on Freeform, during a “watch party” hosted by the network.
The game kicks off at 1Pm Et in the middle of a six-game weekend playoff blitz. The NFL added an extra wild card team to both of its conferences before this season, in a bid to heighten the postseason drama. Heading into yesterday’s games, as many as 35 different game combinations were possible before the final matchups were determined.
The MegaCast will see the traditional telecast on ESPN and ABC, with enhanced production elements. The Monday Night Football commentator team of Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Louis Riddick and Lisa Salters with officiating...
- 1/4/2021
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
NFL football games have long commanded TV’s biggest audiences. But Walt Disney is experimenting with bringing its gridiron broadcasts to some smaller viewer niches.
Some of Disney’s biggest TV networks will “mega-cast” a January NFL Wild Card game across ESPN, ABC, Freeform, ESPN Deportes and ESPN2, part of a larger series of efforts the company has tried over the last year to woo different kinds of viewers to professional football. The company intends to offer four different presentations of the post-season game, slated to take place on January 9 or January 10. ESPN and ABC will both show a traditional telecast, while Freeform, best known for series such as “The Bold Type” and “Grown-ish,” will offer an experience tailored to a younger, female audience. The ESPN2 presentation will likely feature a concept the company has experimented with in the past that includes commentary that is more free-flowing and conversational.
Steve Levy,...
Some of Disney’s biggest TV networks will “mega-cast” a January NFL Wild Card game across ESPN, ABC, Freeform, ESPN Deportes and ESPN2, part of a larger series of efforts the company has tried over the last year to woo different kinds of viewers to professional football. The company intends to offer four different presentations of the post-season game, slated to take place on January 9 or January 10. ESPN and ABC will both show a traditional telecast, while Freeform, best known for series such as “The Bold Type” and “Grown-ish,” will offer an experience tailored to a younger, female audience. The ESPN2 presentation will likely feature a concept the company has experimented with in the past that includes commentary that is more free-flowing and conversational.
Steve Levy,...
- 11/30/2020
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
In a crucial moment for any TV network that wants to stay in the business of broadcasting NFL football games, ESPN this evening is calling in some big guns.
Before kickoff on tonight’s “Monday Night Football,” the sports-media giant will feature an opening segment designed with help from colleagues at Disney sibling Marvel. The montage looks similar to the opening of one of the studio’s super-hero blockbusters. Viewers will hear narration from Samuel L. Jackson, the actor who plays Nick Fury and has enjoyed a continuing presence in Marvel’s popular films. They will see players from tonight’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens depicted as if they were superheroes from one of Marvel’s colorful comic books. And then they will hear “Heavy Action,” the theme that has been have been an audio hallmark of the program since its tenure on ABC.
Before kickoff on tonight’s “Monday Night Football,” the sports-media giant will feature an opening segment designed with help from colleagues at Disney sibling Marvel. The montage looks similar to the opening of one of the studio’s super-hero blockbusters. Viewers will hear narration from Samuel L. Jackson, the actor who plays Nick Fury and has enjoyed a continuing presence in Marvel’s popular films. They will see players from tonight’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens depicted as if they were superheroes from one of Marvel’s colorful comic books. And then they will hear “Heavy Action,” the theme that has been have been an audio hallmark of the program since its tenure on ABC.
- 9/28/2020
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
You’d think Lisa Salters would have seen everything by now, but the woman who holds the distinction of being the longest-serving sideline reporter in the history of “Monday Night Football” will soon encounter something that has never been part of covering an NFL game.
When ESPN launches this season of “Mnf,” Salters will likely find herself working the game from empty stadium seats, in an area now being referred to as “the moat.” Other reporters who have her role, like CBS Sports’ Tracy Wolfson and NBC Sports’ Michele Tafoya, are in a similar position: reporting from a game’s sidelines when that area will be off-limits due to restrictions posed by the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s going to challenge me to think outside the box, and there’s nothing wrong with that,” says Salters, getting ready for her ninth season with the football broadcast. “I have to find a...
When ESPN launches this season of “Mnf,” Salters will likely find herself working the game from empty stadium seats, in an area now being referred to as “the moat.” Other reporters who have her role, like CBS Sports’ Tracy Wolfson and NBC Sports’ Michele Tafoya, are in a similar position: reporting from a game’s sidelines when that area will be off-limits due to restrictions posed by the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s going to challenge me to think outside the box, and there’s nothing wrong with that,” says Salters, getting ready for her ninth season with the football broadcast. “I have to find a...
- 9/10/2020
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
ESPN is going back to a three-man booth for its latest “Monday Night Football” broadcast team. Longtime “SportsCenter” anchor Steve Levy will serve as the play-by-play man with Louis Riddick and Brian Griese as the analysts.
Lisa Salters will return as sideline reporter, and John Perry is back as the officiating analyst.
The new trio will make its debut on Monday, Sept. 14 during the network’s Week 1 “Mnf” doubleheader. ESPN’s new main “Mnf” team will call the late game between the Tennessee Titans and Denver Broncos.
Also Read: Why ESPN+ Needs 'Monday Night Football' to Play a Bigger Part in Disney's Streaming Future
“Steve, Brian and Louis are trusted voices of the NFL whose knowledge and love of football connects with fans,” said Connor Schell, ESPN Executive Vice President, Content. “We are thrilled that they will join Lisa Salters to make up our new ‘Monday Night Football’ team and...
Lisa Salters will return as sideline reporter, and John Perry is back as the officiating analyst.
The new trio will make its debut on Monday, Sept. 14 during the network’s Week 1 “Mnf” doubleheader. ESPN’s new main “Mnf” team will call the late game between the Tennessee Titans and Denver Broncos.
Also Read: Why ESPN+ Needs 'Monday Night Football' to Play a Bigger Part in Disney's Streaming Future
“Steve, Brian and Louis are trusted voices of the NFL whose knowledge and love of football connects with fans,” said Connor Schell, ESPN Executive Vice President, Content. “We are thrilled that they will join Lisa Salters to make up our new ‘Monday Night Football’ team and...
- 8/17/2020
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
Former NFL quarterback Brian Griese has been awarded the 2011 Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy, presented each year by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (Rwjf).
The award celebrates and promotes the selfless service of people within the world of sports whose passionate efforts make a difference in the lives around them. Griese, who currently works as a broadcaster for Espn and Koa-am in Denver, is being recognized for his work with Judi’s House, a comprehensive grief care center he founded in Denver for children dealing with the loss of a loved one.
Griese founded Judi’s House in 2002 in memory of his mother who died when he was twelve years old. The center helps grieving children and families by offering grief counseling and peer support groups to share the experience of loss with others. Judi’s House increases awareness and knowledge of grieving children’s needs by extending grief support services to schools,...
The award celebrates and promotes the selfless service of people within the world of sports whose passionate efforts make a difference in the lives around them. Griese, who currently works as a broadcaster for Espn and Koa-am in Denver, is being recognized for his work with Judi’s House, a comprehensive grief care center he founded in Denver for children dealing with the loss of a loved one.
Griese founded Judi’s House in 2002 in memory of his mother who died when he was twelve years old. The center helps grieving children and families by offering grief counseling and peer support groups to share the experience of loss with others. Judi’s House increases awareness and knowledge of grieving children’s needs by extending grief support services to schools,...
- 10/20/2011
- Look to the Stars
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