The NFL will axe an unpopular new component of its Monday Night Football schedule this season.
Hans Schroeder, NFL Media's chief operating officer and executive vice president, said Tuesday that ESPN and ABC will no longer simultaneously broadcast Monday night games. That gives the league five more games to redistribute in other undetermined packages.
ESPN and ABC began airing more Monday Night Football doubleheaders in the last three seasons. Schroeder acknowledged that televising two games at once didn't work for viewers.
"One of the things we realized with Disney collectively, when we did the deal five years ago, we thought adding two games on Monday night would be a great thing for fans," Schroeder said, via Pro Football Talk's Myles Simmons. "It was more free football that was outside of a Sunday afternoon. And I think we collectively struggled and realized fans felt like they were conflicted to choose between those games.
"And so, as we worked through that and part of that transaction related to the sale of NFL Network, one of the things that surfaced was there's a better way for us to deploy those four games."
NFL has five 2026 games to assign
TAMPA, FLORIDA - JANUARY 16: Joe Buck and Troy Aikman look on prior to a game between the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Wild Card playoff game at Raymond James Stadium on January 16, 2023 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) Julio Aguilar/Getty Images
The elimination of MNF doubleheaders is good news for many NFL fans. However, they now must wait to see the new plan.
The league must decide how to distribute five unassigned games this season. They'll seek other stand-alone windows, with Schroeder mentioning the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving as one possibility.
That could also mean more games moved exclusively to streaming platforms. Schroeder expects to reallocate those games in time for the NFL's schedule reveal in May.
"That's the best part. We can look at the numbers, we can look at the metrics, and our fans will speak to us," Schroeder said. "So, we're going to continue to look at those other windows throughout the year on top of maybe those other windows or maybe late-season Saturdays and see how the market comes back to us as well, with what we think the best possible way to deploy those games are. We think it'll be an exciting way, an exciting addition to the 2026 schedule."
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