NFL on ESPN
The NFL on ESPN is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) coverage on the networks of ESPN. NFL coverage first aired on the network in 1980, when ESPN broadcast the 1980 NFL draft. ESPN did not air live NFL games until 1987, when it acquired the rights to Sunday Night Football. In 2006, ESPN lost the rights to Sunday Night Football and began airing Monday Night Football instead.
| NFL on ESPN | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | ESPN Sunday Night NFL (1987–1997) ESPN NFL (2006–present) |
| Genre | American football game telecasts |
| 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 (1998-2000; 2006–present) In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins feat. Chris Stapleton, Cindy Blackman Santana and Snoop Dogg (2023-present) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Production | |
| Production locations | Various NFL stadiums (game telecasts) ESPN Studios, South Street Seaport, New York City (studio segments) |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 180–210 minutes |
| Production company | ESPN |
| Original release | |
| Network | ESPN |
| Release | November 8, 1987 – present |
| Related | |
| ESPN Sunday Night Football Monday Night Football NFL on ABC | |
Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue credits ESPN with raising the "profile" of the league, by turning "a potential six- or seven-hour television experience into a twelve-hour television experience," factoring in both Sunday Night Football and the network's pregame show Sunday NFL Countdown and still is to this day.
Under its current broadcasting deals lasting through 2033, ESPN/ABC airs live coverage of Monday Night Football, one NFL International Series game on ESPN+, the Pro Bowl games, the NFL Draft, one Wild Card round playoff game, one Divisional round playoff game, and the Super Bowl in 2027 and 2031. Studio programming includes Monday Night Countdown, Sunday NFL Countdown, NFL Live, NFL Primetime, NFL Matchup, Monday Blitz, and Fantasy Football Now.