ESPN’s Monday Night Football has gotten off to a promising start to the 2023 NFL season, reaching new viewership heights through the season’s midpoint. Per Front Office Sports, Monday Night Football reached 101 million viewers leading up to Week 10, compared to 89 million at the same point last season.
ESPN’s decision to revamp their broadcast booth by adding esteemed play-by-play announcer Joe Bucks and color commentator Troy Aikman in 2022 has had a significant impact on viewership. Additionally, Lisa Salters continues to make a case for being one of the best sideline reporters in the industry during her time with ESPN and ESPN on ABC.
Not to mention, the addition of the Manningcast, an alternate live television broadcast of ESPN’s Monday Night Football hosted by brothers and former NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning has become a fan favorite for those who want to experience a different style of in-game broadcasting.
In Week 11, ESPN will be hosting arguably the most highly-anticipated primetime matchup of the season when the Philadelphia Eagles travel to Arrowhead Stadium to face the Kansas City Chiefs in a Super Bowl rematch from last season.
ESPN will also host a Week 17 matchup between the 6-3 Dallas Cowboys and the 7-2 Detroit Lions in a high-stakes game that will could have playoff seeding implications.
With that in mind, ESPN’s viewership could only continue to trend up in the coming weeks even after a record-breaking start to the 2023 campaign.
The broadcasting trio of Aikman, Buck, and Salters combined with the success of the Manningcast has allowed ESPN’s coverage of Monday Night Football to flourish.
