Television networks are looking for ways to be creative for sports content during the COVID-19 pandemic, with literally zero sports going on. One easy solution is going to the archives for classic sporting events. CBS has been doing this for March Madness classic games (with no NCAA Tournament going on), and MLB classic games were shown on across various platforms on Thursday (what would’ve been Opening Day).
And on Thursday, Fox Sports and ESPN announced that they will air classic NFL games in the coming weeks.
Fox, FS1, and Fox Deportes will show classic NFL postseason games (and a 2010 Eagles-Giants regular season game), including five Super Bowls. That begins on Sunday, March 29 (3 p.m. ET) with Super Bowl LI between the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons on Fox (and Fox Deportes), and ends on Friday, May 1 (7 pm. ET) with Super Bowl XXXI between the Patriots and Green Bay Packers.
The @NFLonFOX returns with a full slate of “Greatest NFL Games” throughout the month of April, kicking off Sunday with an encore presentation of Super Bowl LI.
⚠️ Spoilers Ahead ⚠️
https://t.co/UcTo9K67qI pic.twitter.com/3QUrv6a7Qd— FOX Sports PR (@FOXSportsPR) March 27, 2020
Sun, April 26 Super Bowl XXXI Packers-Patriots 3pm
— John Ourand (@Ourand_Puck) March 27, 2020
Fri, April 17 Super Bowl XLII Giants-Patriots 7pm
Thurs, April 232010 playoffs Vikings-Saints 8pm
Fri, April 24 Super Bowl XXXIII Broncos-Falcons 7pm
Thurs, April 302015 playoffs Packers-Seahawks 8pm
Fri, May 1Super Bowl XXXI Packers-Patriots 7pm— John Ourand (@Ourand_Puck) March 27, 2020
ESPN will show Monday Night Football classics every Monday from March 30-April 27. The 2018 shootout between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams (the first game in NFL history in which each team scored 50+ points) will kick off the five-game schedule on March 30 (8 p.m. ET).
ESPN & the #NFL partner to air weekly encore presentations of #MNF Classics
Begins March 30 | 8 p.m. ET | @ESPNNFL
More: https://t.co/qpghTDJx5i pic.twitter.com/1EBanuxnFB
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) March 27, 2020
https://twitter.com/bhofheimer_espn/status/1243649485831573511
Update: Two Sunday Night Football classic games will air each night on NBCSN during the week of March 30-April 5. And the final three Sundays of April (the 12th, 19th, and 26th) will feature one SNF classic on NBCSN.
NBC Sports presents "Football Week in America" featuring two @SNFonNBC games each night on NBCSN beginning Monday, March 30.
Details: https://t.co/YMxFucpmiE pic.twitter.com/p2UgJ1AuHx
— NBC Sports PR (@NBCSportsPR) March 25, 2020
Next week, every night is football night.
We're breaking out the best of Sunday Night Football for #FootballWeekNBCSN. You in? pic.twitter.com/TYLANP5mhE
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) March 27, 2020
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at Awful Announcing and The Comeback.
He can be reached by email at mclapp@awfulannouncing.com.