ESPN Launches New NFL Shows, Expands Others

NFL32 and NFL Kickoff to Begin Next Week

ESPN announced a new eight-year multimedia rights agreement with the National Football League today. The deal features an expansion of ESPN’s already robust highlight rights, as well as rights to more than 500 new hours of NFL programming each year, the latter starting this season.

Beginning this week, ESPN is adding new NFL-branded shows and expanding several existing programs, including its signature Sunday NFL Countdown pregame – now three hours on NFL Sundays (10 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET), beginning this Sunday, Sept. 11. The significantly expanded ESPN studio programming lineup, combined with ESPN’s presentation of sports television’s signature series, Monday Night Football, will continue to provide fans with comprehensive year-round coverage of the NFL.

ESPN and ABC Sports President George Bodenheimer said: “With a multitude of shows, networks and platforms, ESPN will continue to cover the NFL like no other media company can.”

Notable additions to ESPN’s new NFL programming lineup include:

Sunday NFL Countdown … expands to three hours this weekend

NFL Live … expands to one hour, starting today

NFL32 … new show debuts Tuesday 

NFL Kickoff … new show debuts next Friday

Audibles becomes weekly Thursday night show  

In addition to ESPN’s NFL-branded shows, at least 30 additional ESPN programs across multiple networks and platforms will utilize NFL highlights as part of the agreement, including SportsCenter, First Take, Around the Horn, Pardon The Interruption, Jim Rome is Burning, Mike & Mike In the Morning, Outside the Lines, SportsNation, The Sports Reporters, ESPN Deportes’ NFL Esta Noche, new ESPN2 shows Dan Le Batard is Highly Questionable and Numbers Never Lie, ESPN.com, Mobile ESPN and more.

ESPN’s 2011 NFL TV Program Lineup:

Sundays:

Time (ET) Show
3 a.m., 7:30 a.m.8:30 a.m. (ESPN2) NFL Matchup(30 minutes) 
10 a.m. Sunday NFL Countdown(3 hours)
11:30 a.m.(ESPN2)  Fantasy Football Now (90 minutes)
7 p.m. SportsCenter +
11 p.m. “The Blitz” on SportsCenter ^

* All shows on ESPN unless noted

+ NFL highlights segments with Chris Berman, Tom Jackson, Trent Dilfer and John Saunders

^ NFL highlights segments with Berman and Jackson

Mondays on ESPN:

Time (ET) Show
3 p.m. NFL Primetime
4 p.m. NFL Live
6 p.m. SportsCenter Monday Kickoff 
7 p.m. Monday Night Countdown  
8:30 p.m. Monday Night Football
11:30 p.m. SportsCenter ~
1 a.m. NFL Primetime (updated) 

* Around the Horn and Pardon the Interruption air between 5-6 p.m.

~ Includes significant MNF postgame coverage

Weekdays:

Time (ET) Show
4 p.m., Mon.-Fri.(ESPN) NFL Live (1 hour)
6 p.m., Mon.-Fri.(ESPN2) NFL32 (1 hour) 
7 p.m., Thurs.(ESPN) Audibles (1 hour) 
7 p.m., Fri.  (ESPN2) NFL Kickoff (1 hour) 

-30-

Exit mobile version