ESPN reaches deal to extend ‘ManningCast’ through 2024 season, expand to other sports
Peyton and Eli Manning will continue hanging out on camera during “Monday Night Football.”
The two former quarterbacks and Peyton’s Omaha Productions company reached an extension with ESPN on Wednesday, the network announced. The deal is for a 10-game annual slate of their alternate broadcast through the 2024 season.
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The network also plans to expand the popular format to other sports — including UFC, college football and golf — across ESPN in the years to come.
“I’ve always loved talking football with my brother, and it was even more fun to do it while watching ESPN’s ‘Monday Night Football,’” Peyton said in a statement. “Eli and I are excited to sign on for another season, and the entire Omaha team is looking forward to producing MegaCasts that celebrate other sports.”
“Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli” shined during the football season last fall. The nine episodes averaged 1.6 million viewers. The easy format, which featured both quarterbacks sitting at home talking with each other and celebrity guests, was frequently more entertaining than ESPN’s traditional broadcast.
It’s unclear what the format will look like in other sports and who will host those broadcasts. ESPN said that it will run the alternate broadcast during the college football regular season and through the College Football Playoff. It’s unclear which UFC events or golf tournaments will get the Peyton and Eli treatment, though ESPN launched a new partnership with the PGA Tour this season to expand its coverage.
ESPN already announced that it will launch a ManningCast-style baseball broadcast this season, which will be hosted by Alex Rodriguez and Michael Kay. It will run alongside “Sunday Night Baseball” telecasts during the regular season.
“We couldn’t be more proud of ‘Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli’ and the partnership we’ve developed with Peyton, Eli and the team at Omaha Productions,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. “This new agreement allows us to deepen our relationship and explore original concepts to spread that magic to other sports and events. Ultimately, this will help grow our audience by providing fans with even more creative options that they crave.”
