The National Football League revealed the full 2024 regular season schedule on Wednesday night, which includes 23 games on platforms owned by The Walt Disney Company (ESPN/ABC). Throughout the regular season and playoffs, ESPN will broadcast 25 games within its NFL property, along with a Monday night Super Wild Card matchup (ESPN, ABC, ESPN+) and divisional round playoff game (ESPN, ABC, ESPN+).
The lead Monday Night Football broadcast team of play-by-play announcer Joe Buck, analyst Troy Aikman and reporter Lisa Salters will return for their third season calling games together. Buck and Aikman embark on their 23rd year calling games together, furthering their distinction as the longest broadcasting pair in league history. Moreover, Salters will be on the call for the 13th season and is the longest-tenured sideline reporter in the history of the Monday Night Football broadcast property.
The slate of games commences with a matchup between the New York Jets and defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif on Monday, Sept. 9 at 8:20 p.m. EST on ESPN and ABC. Beginning in Week 3, Disney will commence the first of five doubleheaders during the regular season, building off momentum it attained last year when it presented two matchups three times across the schedule. The first iteration will include a game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills on ESPN, while the Washington Commanders and Cincinnati Bengals face off on ABC.
Four Monday Night Football games will be presented on both ESPN and ABC throughout the regular season after alterations to the schedule last year because of the writers strike. Moreover, there will also be an NFL game exclusive to ESPN+ in Week 7 when the Los Angeles Chargers face the Arizona Cardinals.
As a whole, Monday Night Football viewership during the 2023 regular season averaged approximately 17.4 million viewers, up 29% year-over-year and marking its best season since 2000. Moreover, the broadcast property aired its four most-watched games since 2000 last season, including a Super Bowl rematch between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs that drew an average of 29 million viewers.
In addition to the traditional game broadcast, Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli makes its return for a fourth season. The collaboration between ESPN and Omaha Productions was instantiated within a nine-year extension between the two parties that also includes original content creation. The alternate presentation will add an 11th game to its schedule, and as announced by Peyton Manning, feature former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick at the start of these broadcasts. The broadcast averaged 1.24 million viewers across its nine-game slate in the 2023 NFL season and also introduced new technology and innovations as part of its third season on the air.
There are several other marquee matchups on the schedule throughout the year, including a game between the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers in Week 12. The Monday Night Football game represents the first time brothers Jim and John Harbaugh coach against one another since Super Bowl XLVII. Flex scheduling can also be utilized within the Monday Night Football property starting during this week until Week 17 as established by the NFL last season. The Walt Disney Company (ESPN/ABC) and the National Football League are entering the third year in their existing media rights deal, which includes Super Bowl broadcasts after the 2026 and 2030 seasons.
