ESPN’s anthem for Monday Night Football is back, but comes with a new twist ahead of the 2026 NFL season.
A trailer for the latest cover version of “In the Air Tonight,” which will help ring in the final football game of each week, revealed that Ludacris will apparently be taking over the spot in the musical lineup previously held by Snoop Dogg.
Chris Stapleton and Cindy Blackman Santana are back in their established roles.
A familiar anthem returns, with a new addition🎵🏈@Ludacris joins @ChrisStapleton & @Drumstress for Monday Night Football’s ‘In the Air Tonight’ open, debuting Sept. 14
More on the refreshed rendition of the iconic Phil Collins classic: https://t.co/KGdOjtMUAn pic.twitter.com/O5LVf6kHPn
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) September 10, 2026
This is somewhat shocking to anyone who has witnessed Snoop Dogg’s ubiquity in the sporting world over the past few years, but maybe his new deal with NBC means we’ll see him pop up on Sunday Night Football sometime this season. Still, after appearing at the Super Bowl and the NBA regular season and the NFL Christmas Day Game and the Olympics and with his own bowl game and the Olympics again, it’s simply jarring to see Snoop removed from a sporting product in the year 2026
As for Ludacris, he is, on paper, a great choice to fill in the slot for ESPN. He is phenomenal when his fellow rappers call on him for a guest verse, and since his job will likely be producing what is essentially a new guest verse for each game, Luda fits the bill.
He is also a Falcons fan, meaning Atlanta will be represented on Monday Night Football beyond their Week 4 game against the New Orleans Saints.
We are now just three days away from ESPN’s first game of the NFL season. Are you ready for some football?
About Tyler Lauletta
Tyler is a editorial contributor at Awful Announcing, with previous stops at Sports Illustrated and Business Insider during his career covering sports in digital media. He is, begrudgingly, a Truster of the Process and general Philly sports sicko.