ESPN’s pursuit of Peyton Manning to be a part of “Monday Night Football” has paid off ... albeit in an unorthodox manner that no one could have predicted.
The Associated Press reports not only has the Hall of Fame quarterback made the most of a forum where he doesn’t have to worry about jockeying for time in a three-man booth, but he also has brought his brother Eli along for the ride.
The Manningcast — or as ESPN calls it “Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli” — has drawn rave reviews, along with plenty of viewers. The five Manningcasts on ESPN2 are averaging 1.59 million viewers. The most recent one, the Nov. 1 game between the New York Giants and Kansas City Chiefs, averaged 1.96 million, which is the largest audience ever for an ESPN alternate telecast.
The Mannings’ foray into broadcasting has been the top story in what has been a strong first half of the season for the NFL on TV. Games are averaging 16.4 million TV and digital viewers, which is the highest average through Week 9 since 2015 and up 9% over last year. It is also a 2% gain over 2019.
“The response from teammates, fans, and the league has been really cool,” Eli Manning said. “The show is fun because I am doing what I love. I spent my entire childhood watching football alongside Peyton, so we’ve had some practice at this.
“We’re trying to educate fans when we can, but mostly we’re just trying to entertain them and enjoy the game.”
The Manningcast is a partnership between ESPN and Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions. This is the first of a three-year deal for them to do 10 games per season. It resumes this week when the Los Angeles Rams visit the San Francisco 49ers along with the Nov. 22 game between the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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