Monday Night Football doubleheaders have become more and more commonplace over the last few years, but ESPN and the NFL are still tinkering with the format and what’s best for fans and for ratings.
This week will see yet another new idea from the network for dual coverage. The Baltimore Ravens will visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the usual MNF broadcast window, kicking off at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN. Just 45 minutes later at 9:00 p.m. ET, the Arizona Cardinals will host the Los Angeles Chargers as an exclusive ESPN+ streaming game.
The main Monday Night Football crew of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will call Ravens-Bucs from Tampa. Laura Rutledge will replace Lisa Salters, who is attending to a personal matter. Molly McGrath will step in as the sideline reporter joining Chris Fowler, Dan Orlovsky, and Louis Riddick for the Chargers-Cardinals broadcast.
But what about the ManningCast?
That’s where things get interesting.
Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli will focus on the ESPN game for Ravens-Bucs with their typical broadcast. However, ESPN announced on Thursday that the ManningCast will also feature “periodic highlights may air based on game situation and circumstances” of the Chargers-Cardinals game although significant coverage won’t be featured. In other words, don’t expect an NFL RedZone situation to break out and the brothers to try their best Scott Hanson impersonation or anything.
However, after the conclusion of Ravens-Bucs and the ManningCast comes to an end on ESPN2, it will also become an ESPN+ exclusive stream for the conclusion of Chargers-Cardinals where the Mannings will then focus on the second game of the doubleheader.
It’s an unique setup and approach to the evening, but it’s also a unique broadcast schedule. What is fascinating is that ESPN’s strategy appears tailor made to try to encourage people to sign up for ESPN+. And why wouldn’t they – almost every other media company is trying to use the NFL to drive subscriptions to their streaming platforms whether it’s Amazon, Peacock, or Netflix.
Our guess is you are going to get frequent reminders during both the traditional telecast and the ManningCast that you can fully enjoy the Chargers-Cardinals game on ESPN+ and subscribing. How many subs ESPN will be able to pick up with the odd highlight or with the ManningCast exclusively coming over for the fourth quarter remains to be seen, but every subscriber counts in 2024 for Bristol. And ESPN must feel that this is a better play than their previous streaming exclusive,s which were early Sunday morning kickoffs in London.