NFL on ABC
National television broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games first aired on ABC from 1948 to 1951. Between 1970 and 2005, Monday Night Football aired exclusively on ABC. In 2006, ESPN took over as the exclusive rights holder to Monday Night Football, and the ABC Sports division was merged into ESPN Inc. by parent company Disney. Afterward, ABC did not broadcast any game from the NFL, whether exclusive or a simulcast from ESPN, until they simulcasted an NFL Wild Card playoff game in 2016. ABC would then return to Monday Night Football in 2020, when they aired three games as simulcasts from ESPN.
| NFL on ABC | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Monday Night Football |
| Genre | American football game telecasts |
| Directed by | Derek Mobley |
| Presented by | Joe Buck Troy Aikman Lisa Salters John Parry Scott Van Pelt Robert Griffin III Marcus Spears Ryan Clark Adam Schefter Chris Fowler Louis Riddick Dan Orlovsky Laura Rutledge |
| Opening theme | "Heavy Action" by Johnny Pearson (1976–2005; 2015–present) In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins feat. Chris Stapleton, Cindy Blackman Santana and Snoop Dogg (2023-present) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Norby Williamson |
| Producer | Steve Ackels |
| Production locations | Various NFL stadiums (game telecasts) ESPN Studios, South Street Seaport, New York City (studio segments) |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 3–4 hours |
| Production companies | ABC Sports (1970–2005) ESPN (2016–present) |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC (1970–2005, 2016–present) |
| Related | |
| Monday Night Football Monday Night Countdown | |
Since 2021, ABC simulcasts or exclusively airs selected Monday Night Football games, two Saturday games during Week 18, one Wild Card playoff game, and the Pro Bowl with ESPN. Beginning in 2023, ABC and ESPN will simulcast one divisional playoff game, and both networks will air the Super Bowl in 2027 and 2031. All games since 2016, whether a simulcast or an exclusive broadcast, have used ESPN branding and graphics.