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MNF moved to ESPN
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 5:42 pm
by air_hog
Starting in '06, Monday Night Football will air on ESPN
And Sunday Night Football will air on ABC
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2040130
What will they do next, move the Super Bowl to cable...
BREAKING NEWS!!!!!
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 5:45 pm
by hatsOFF2gibbs
Monday Night Football moving to ESPN in '06
NFL.com wire reports
NEW YORK (April 18, 2005) -- The NFL's Monday Night Football, a staple on ABC for the past 35 seasons, will move to ESPN starting with the 2006 season.
And NBC is returning to the NFL after six years away by taking the Sunday night broadcast previously on ESPN.
The Monday night move from network TV to basic cable, hinted at continually by commissioner Paul Tagliabue, was confirmed by two sources familiar with the deals who spoke to The Associated Press under condition of anonymity. The sources said the deals is for eight years.
NBC will get the Sunday night package for six years, according to the sources. The network will also get the Super Bowl in 2009 and 2012 as part of the deal, one of the sources said.
The moves leave ABC -- which originated Monday Night Football in 1970 -- as the only major network without NFL football.
ABC and ESPN are both subsidiaries of the Walt Disney Co. The deal with ESPN, which currently carries games every Sunday night and sometimes on Thursday, was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Last month, Tagliabue said during the NFL meetings in Hawaii that the Monday night move was a strong possibility. ABC, which has been losing money on the package despite high ratings, had been balking at the NFL's asking price.
CBS and Fox already have agreed to pay a total of $8 billion over six years for the Sunday AFC and NFC rights.
That has become more pressing since parity caused by the salary cap has resulted in teams moving up and down the standings annually, leaving bad teams that were strong the previous season in prime time and good teams that were bad the past season off of it.
The NFL is still considering separate packages for Thursday and late-season Saturday nights.
Does this mean that the ones who do not have ESPN will not be able to watch it??
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 5:47 pm
by Fios
Oh my god, Theisman is going to be insufferable. Please tell me Berman won't be anywhere near that broadcast booth.
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 5:54 pm
by air_hog
MORE BREAKING NEWS...
I BEAT YOU
http://www.the-hogs.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12543
were you watching PTI too...
But I think this is stupid. Monday Night Football should be a National Televised event.
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 6:16 pm
by JDC
Air hog,
I think not having ESPN is equally as stupid.
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 6:28 pm
by ANT7088
Who cares, as long as it's on! I thought we traded someone or something!
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 7:31 pm
by Alcatraz
Everything keeps changing
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 7:33 pm
by ejay183
NNNNNOOOOOO!!!!!
Why did they do that? I love Monday Night Football and I dont have cable.
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 7:35 pm
by Alcatraz
Calm down Silky you be aight
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 7:57 pm
by Chris Luva Luva
The NFL is really making a lot of bad moves for a lot of people. 1st selling exclusive rights to EA, alienating tons of ESPN2k5 fans, and not narrowing down their userbase. I know most people have some type of cable tv nowadays but jeez.
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 8:15 pm
by Jake
I merged both TV topics.
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 8:43 pm
by Clinton Portis
Welll....
Lets enjoy our last year of freedom.
I SUPPOSE the NFL thinks EVERYONE has cable...
What about our Omish fans!
Re: MNF moved to ESPN
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 8:59 pm
by cvillehog
air_hog wrote:And Sunday Night Football will air on ABC
NBC, not ABC.
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 9:42 pm
by curveball
MNF will cease to exist after this new contract runs out.
The fine folks at Disney have destroyed another institution amongst sports fans. Remember the pre-Disney days at ESPN when they actually showed sports all day? Or when the Sportscenter anchor actually pretended that the particular highlight was more important to the viewer than the anchor themselves.
As cable became more readily available and viewership of the broadcast networks dropped across the board, MNF was still the king. ABC, then Disney, decided that the way to boost ratings (I guess #1 almost every week wasn't good enough) was to entice non-football fans, increasing the "entertainment" and decreasing the focus on football. Things like Dennis Miller were great ideas. As ratings went into free fall, they decided that it couldn't have been their fault, people must not like football any longer, let's focus even more "entertainment".
When the ESPN ratings plummet in '06, we'll be subjected to even more "entertainment" instead of football. Sideline reporter Phil Helmuth will be asking Ron Mexico why he folded the pocket jacks on third and short. Joe Theeesman will clone himself on air at halftime just so he can enjoy the sound of his own voice twice as much.
Won't it be great?
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 11:09 pm
by hatsOFF2gibbs
This sucks. I do have cable but I know other fans who do not. What are they to do? Get cable? What if they can't afford it?
Jeez....the NFL should try to make this a nationally telivised night. Maybe ESPN would show the game on ABC7 like they do when the Redskins are playing....
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 11:15 pm
by General Failure
Clinton Portis wrote:What about our Omish fans!
They can watch it with the Moomanites.
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 11:19 pm
by hatsOFF2gibbs
Supposedly NBC4 signed a deal with the NFL saying that they'll show the Sunday night games which ESPN showed in the past.
So, NBC4 will be airing Sunday night football and ESPN will be airing Monday Night Football.
BTW, does anyone have a link to a website where I can download the Monday Night Football theme tune? What about the NFL theme tune? (You know....the little tune we all hear before a game starts...the one with the NFL logo and McNabb running around....I think)
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 11:37 pm
by cvillehog
hatsOFF2gibbs wrote:Supposedly NBC4 signed a deal with the NFL saying that they'll show the Sunday night games which ESPN showed in the past.
So, NBC4 will be airing Sunday night football and ESPN will be airing Monday Night Football.
BTW, does anyone have a link to a website where I can download the Monday Night Football theme tune? What about the NFL theme tune? (You know....the little tune we all hear before a game starts...the one with the NFL logo and McNabb running around....I think)
hatsOFF, did you read any of the rest of this thread?
It isn't just NBC4, it is NBC corporate.
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2005 12:31 am
by air_hog
So I wonder who will Broadcast the NBC Games and who will do their Pre-Game shows.
Looks like good 'ole Joe Theisman just got screwed.
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2005 2:15 am
by Primetime42
I actually used to like Theisman (South River and all) but he just got so annoying over the years.
Here's hoping Michaels at least goes to ESPN.
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2005 5:47 am
by redskindave
I agree with ANT7088, I dont care as long as its on
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2005 12:34 pm
by skins81
I know this site is usually crap, but it can be entertaining.
Pro Football Talk wrote:Based on the current ESPN lineup, we think that the network will end up going semi-safe, but semi-controversial with its Monday night booth by teaming Berman, Steve Young, and Jim Rome.
In a word.
Unwatchable.
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2005 12:55 pm
by General Failure
Berman and Young would be alright, but I refuse to watch that midget.
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2005 1:41 pm
by JansenFan
As much as I hate Rome, I think he would only be the second most annoying common tater.
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2005 2:08 pm
by skins81
Rome's radio show has ZERO to do with sports.
Listen to him only if you feel the need to waste time. He is one of the least informed people I have ever heard.
He only made his name from that CHris Everett fiasco.