ABC is set to broadcast an additional six ‘Monday Night Football’ games starting this week, beginning with the matchup between the Bills and Jets. This move comes as ABC will simulcast six more ESPN “Monday Night Football” games, expanding their coverage for the season to a total of 17 games. This includes 14 simulcasts with ESPN, which also features two playoff games, along with three games exclusively airing on ABC.
The decision to air more games was a collaborative effort between the NFL and the Walt Disney Company, the parent company of both ABC and ESPN. The newly added games will feature exciting matchups such as Baltimore at Tampa Bay on Oct. 21, and Tampa Bay at Kansas City on Nov. 4, among others. Notably, Nov. 11 and Dec. 2 are the only Mondays for the remainder of the regular season without ABC’s game coverage.
Last season, ABC aired games for all 18 weeks due to an agreement with the NFL amidst the absence of new original fall programming caused by strikes in Hollywood. The increased presence of games on network television saw a significant rise in viewership for “Monday Night Football,” averaging 17.36 million viewers across ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC, marking a remarkable 29% increase from the previous year.
Moreover, the heightened viewership last season resulted in the best audience numbers for the league’s prime-time package since 2000. The exciting Super Bowl 57 rematch between Philadelphia and Kansas City averaged an impressive 29.03 million viewers. This season, ABC had initially planned for eight simulcasts, including playoff games, and exclusive Monday Night Football games during doubleheaders.
The move to broadcast more games on ABC is part of Disney’s strategy to reintroduce sports programming to the network, with upcoming events like Super Bowl 61 and the College Football Playoff championship game scheduled to air on ABC. The recent game between Kansas City and New Orleans on ESPN tallied 15.91 million viewers, further indicating the potential for increased ratings with more games on ABC.
This week’s game between the Bills and Jets not only features an exciting quarterback matchup between Aaron Rodgers and Josh Allen but also marks the Jets’ first game under interim coach Jeff Ulbrich following the dismissal of Robert Saleh after a 2-3 start to the season. Football fans can expect more action-packed games and increased viewership as ABC gears up to showcase a thrilling lineup of ‘Monday Night Football’ games in the weeks to come.