A sound technician with ESPN helps produce a telecast of a football game.
A sound technician with ESPN helps produce a telecast of a football game. (Photo by Maize & Blue Nation via Wikimedia Commons, Graphic by The Desk)
Key Points:
Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli will return for its fifth season with 12 games airing on ESPN2 and streaming on ESPN Plus, beginning September 8 with the Minnesota Vikings at the Chicago Bears.
The ManningCast will surpass 50 total episodes this year and has averaged 1.3 million viewers per telecast since its 2021 debut, earning Sports Emmys in each of its four seasons.
This season will feature A-list guests, the return of Peyton Manning’s interactive Whiteboard for real-time analysis, and fan-focused elements like predictions and live reactions.
ESPN is set to reprise its role as the exclusive telecast partner for the NFL’s “Monday Night Football” next week, and the broadcaster will reprise its alternative telecast for some football games throughout the season.
Starting with the September 8 match-up between the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears, ESPN 2 will offer “Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli,” also known as the “Manningcast,” which features the veteran football brothers commenting on the games played on ESPN in real-time.
A total of 12 telecasts will air on ESPN 2 and stream live on ESPN Plus, starting around 8 p.m. Eastern Time. ESPN 2 and ESPN Plus are also included in the sports network’s new streaming plan, ESPN Unlimited, which costs $30 per month. (ESPN Plus is available on its own for $11 per month.)
“This season’s edition of the award-winning show will feature 12 games, new guests – and perhaps some familiar faces – while also maintaining the signature blend of analysis, humor, and wit that has become synonymous with Peyton and Eli Manning,” ESPN said in a statement.
The 2025 slate opens September 8 when the Minnesota Vikings face the Chicago Bears. The schedule includes matchups with the Ravens, Chiefs, Packers, Raiders, 49ers and others. The season will conclude with a Week 18 game on January 3 and a Wild Card Weekend telecast on January 12.
The ManningCast is produced as a complement to ESPN’s traditional Monday Night Football broadcast, which features Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters and Laura Rutledge.
The following schedule was released by ESPN for Monday Night Football alternative telecasts featuring Eli and Peyton Manning:
Week 1: September 8, 2025 – Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears
Week 3: September 22 – Detroit Lions at Baltimore Ravens
Week 5: October 6 – Kansas City Chiefs at Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 8: October 27 – Washington Commanders at Kansas City Chiefs
Week 9: November 3 – Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys
Week 10: November 10 – Philadelphia Eagles at Green Bay Packers
Week 11: November 17 – Dallas Cowboys at Las Vegas Raiders
Week 12: November 24 – Carolina Panthers at San Francisco 49ers
Week 13: December 1 – New York Giants at New England Patriots
Week 15: December 15 – Miami Dolphins at Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 18: January 3, 2026 – Doubleheader Saturday: Game to be announced
Wild Card: January 12 – Game to be announced
Since debuting in 2021, the program has averaged 1.3 million viewers per episode. It has won two Sports Emmys for Outstanding Live Series, while Peyton Manning has earned two Sports Emmys for Outstanding Personality/Event Analyst. Combined, the show has secured at least one Emmy Award in each of its four seasons.
This season will once again feature a mix of signature elements, including appearances by A-list guests from the NFL, entertainment and other industries in the first half of each game. Peyton Manning’s interactive Whiteboard will return as a centerpiece of the telecast, offering real-time play analysis. The broadcast will also continue to emphasize fan-focused moments, with predictions, live reactions and unscripted exchanges that have become hallmarks of the ManningCast.
In April 2024, ESPN signed a long-term media rights extension with Omaha Productions to continue producing the series.
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