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Peyton, Eli Manning to Star in Monday Night Football MegaCast on ESPN2
ESPN has announced a deal to put Peyton Manning on Monday Night Football, just not in the way that was expected.
Peyton and Eli Manning are set to headline the Monday Night Football MegaCast that will air during 10 games for the next three seasons on ESPN2. In a deal with Peyton Manning's production company, Omaha Productions, the MegaCast will feature current and former NFL players while the Mannings will broadcast from a remote location.
The partnership with ESPN builds on Peyton Manning's ESPN+ documentary series, Peyton's Places, which chronicles iconic moments in NFL history. Manning reportedly turned down an offer from ESPN last year to work as an analyst in the Monday Night Football booth.
The program, which has yet to name a host, will air simultaneously with ESPN's regular Monday Night Football broadcast featuring Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Louis Riddick, Lisa Salters and John Parry.
"This partnership with ESPN and The Walt Disney Company reflects an ongoing, shared commitment to offering fans fun, innovative content," Peyton Manning said in a statement to ESPN. "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."
Peyton Manning, who won two Super Bowls and five NFL MVP awards in his storied career, will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame next month. Eli Manning retired in 2019 after 16 seasons and two Super Bowl titles with the Giants.
ESPN celebrated Monday Night Football's 50th anniversary last year with a MegaCast last September that also commemorated the Raiders' first game in Las Vegas.
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Andrew Gastelum is a programming editor and writer at Sports Illustrated who specializes in soccer, the Olympics and international sports. He joined the SI staff in March 2021 and previously contributed to Howler Magazine and NBC Sports. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame alum and is currently based in Italy.