ABC is set to broadcast a total of 17 NFL games this season, with 14 of these being simulcasts with ESPN , with changes being made to the system .
This expansion, which includes six additional Monday Night Football games, was jointly decided by the NFL and Disney, the parent company of both television networks.
The changes were announced on Friday afternoon via an initial report from ESPN, with ESPN Insider reporter Adam Schefter subsequently sharing the information.
The schedule includes several exciting matchups, featuring the two-time defending Super Bowl champions. Notable games include the Baltimore Ravens playing away against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 21, Tampa Bay visiting the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 4, the Houston Texans at Dallas against the Cowboys on Nov.
18, Baltimore versus the Los Angeles Chargers on Nov. 25, and the New Orleans Saints taking on the Green Bay Packers just before Christmas on Dec. 23.
These additional broadcasts reflect the growing demand for NFL coverage and the robust partnership between the NFL and Disney, delivering more prime-time football action to viewers across both ABC and ESPN platforms. This increase also brings ABC closer to last season's tally of having NFL games on the network for each week of the regular season.
Football enthusiasts were mostly chuffed with the additional spotlight on key clashes. Yet, a handful of fans weren't too pleased, suggesting that ABC is struggling to fill its primetime slots with quality telly and is leaning on NFL games as a crutch for ratings.
ESPN's NFL pundit Dan Orlovsky waded into the discourse, remarking, "More double headers, please," in reference to the buzz of Week 3 when viewers were treated to two headline-grabbing games simultaneously on the box. That week the Jacksonville Jaguars faced a hefty 47-10 defeat against the Buffalo Bills, which was followed by Jayden Daniels stealing the show, propelling the Washington Commanders to an edge-of-the-seat 38-33 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
The 2024 NFL season commenced with record-breaking viewing figures, marking some of the highest combined ratings seen in a while. The Hollywood Reporter indicated that Week 1 attracted 21 million viewers on average across all broadcasters, confirming the sport's continued reign over prime-time slots.
The first Monday Night Football game of the season also pulled in a solid audience, with 20.5 million viewers tuning in on ESPN and affiliated networks like ABC. Beyond the live matches, ESPN's NFL offerings include the popular Manning - cast along with pre and post-game shows.
ESPN has roped in more analysts this season to jazz up their coverage. Ex-NFL MVP Cam Newton has been brought on board to report on First Take alongside Stephen A.
Smith and Shannon Sharpe, while retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce keeps NFL fans amused on Monday Night Countdown.
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