ESPN in Manning football coup

Disney-owned sports channel ESPN has partnered with former NFL star Peyton Manning’s prodco Omaha Productions in a deal that will see Manning and his brother Eli present a Monday night American football programme.

Peyton Manning (photo: Mike Morbeck via CC)

The agreement, which currently extends to 2023, will see the Mannings’ show carried on ESPN2 with additional options on streaming platform ESPN+. The duo will cover a total of 30 Monday Night Football games over three seasons.

Manning and ESPN have a history, with the network showing 2019’s Peyton’s Places, which has since become a multi-series franchise involving others. The programme will be produced by ESPN and Omaha with the first three episodes screening during the first three weeks of the NFL season in September.

Peyton Manning said: “This partnership with ESPN and The Walt Disney Company reflects an ongoing, shared commitment to offering fans fun, innovative content. ESPN+ has been a terrific partner for Omaha Productions as we built out the Places franchise and we’re excited to co-create a new megacast format that will have something for everyone.”