ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown is returning to the air ahead of Week 1’s Monday Night Football matchup between the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets. Much of the show’s cast will remain the same, including host Sam Ponder, senior NFL insider Adam Schefter and analysts Rex Ryan, Tedy Bruschi and Randy Moss. The program, which is approaching its 40th year on the air, will be adding three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Alex Smith to the lineup, the latest step in his growing sports media career. Earlier in the week, Smith joined SiriusXM to make a weekly guest appearance on The SiriusXM Blitz, and he has been appearing across ESPN programming since being hired by the “Worldwide Leader” in 2021.
Smith inked a contract extension with ESPN in November 2022 and appeared during select weeks of Monday Night Countdown over the last two seasons. The former No. 1 overall draft pick will continue to appear on a slate of Monday Night Countdown episodes, including the Week 1 edition from MetLife Stadium, and will balance his new role with the network and philanthropy efforts with The Alex Smith Foundation.
The established Sunday morning pregame show will air every week through Super Bowl Sunday, and there will be special editions of the program throughout the playoffs. This venerated property achieved several viewership records last year, recording its best numbers since 2019 and up 7% overall from the last regular season. An average of 1.24 million viewers watched the show last year, with 13% growth among adults 18-24 and a concurrent 8% increase among females.
This season’s premiere will include several exclusive features, including an interview with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Reporters including Jeff Darlington, Kimberley A. Martin and the newly-promoted Lindsey Thiry will be part of the show, reporting from around the country and bringing inside information and insights to the air.
