Peyton And Eli Manning Are Coming To 'Monday Night Football' In New Megacast

Two Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks are joining ESPN’s upcoming NFL coverage in a move that could boost viewership.

What Happened: ESPN and the Walt Disney Co (NYSE: DIS) are partnering with Peyton Manning and Omaha Productions for new NFL content.

Beginning with the 2021-2022 season, Peyton Manning and brother Eli Manning will be featured in 10 games of the "Monday Night Football" NFL coverage.

The duo will broadcast from a remote location and feature celebrities including current and iconic NFL players. The new "Monday Night Football" Megacast will air on ESPN2 and could be distributed on ESPN+.

Why It’s Important: The new "Monday Night Football" airing will complement the existing coverage on ESPN and ABC. This will give two unique viewing options for 10 of the NFL games on Mondays during the season.

Disney paid $105 billion for the rights to "Monday Night Football" for 11 years. Averaging $2.55 billion per season, the deal from ESPN is the most expensive of the existing NFL rights deals.

“Peyton and Eli will bring a different approach, delving into a conversation about broader, big-picture topics while also honing in on the game, much like fans do when watching with their family and friends,” ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said.

Peyton said the new stream will have “something for everyone.”

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ESPN says the coverage from the Mannings will feature an unnamed co-host. The new show will feature in-moment analysis, big picture NFL dialogue and knee-jerk reaction. A multi-box view will ensure that the game is always viewable.

ESPN could see new viewers tune in for the coverage from the Mannings or higher viewership during less favorable team matchups given the interest in hearing their opinions on the game and overall state of the NFL.

Disney could also use the show as a way to promote upcoming television shows and movies by having actors/actresses join the Mannings during the game.