ESPN and Apple Music Team Up for Monday Night Football Season Music

The collaboration will bring Apple Music-curated songs to ESPN’s Monday Night Football coverage as the network builds toward its first Super Bowl production.

The countdown to ESPN’s first Super Bowl is getting a soundtrack. ESPN and Apple Music are teaming up for the 2026-27 Monday Night Football season, bringing curated music selections to the network’s NFL coverage as ESPN builds toward Super Bowl LXI and the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show.

What’s Happening:

  • The collaboration continues ESPN’s “Year of the Super Bowl,” a yearlong celebration leading up to ESPN’s first-ever Super Bowl production on February 14, 2027. Apple Music will curate music throughout the Monday Night Football season, with its selections featured across ESPN promotional spots, live game telecasts and Monday Night Countdown.
  • The partnership follows several years of ESPN working with major artists and music personalities to shape the sound of Monday Night Football. Previous collaborators have included Saweetie in 2025, J Balvin in 2024, Timbaland and Justin Timberlake in 2023, Marshmello in 2022, Drake in 2021, DJ Khaled in 2020 and Diplo in 2019.

  • Now, Apple Music is taking over the music curation duties for the 2026-27 season, creating a connection between the weekly NFL broadcasts and the entertainment surrounding Super Bowl LXI.
  • “There’s nothing like the energy of a Monday Night Football game,” said Matt Plotnik, Global Head of Marketing, Apple Music and Apple Podcasts. “We’re giving that energy a soundtrack, powered by Apple Music’s deep bench of curators and tastemakers. We can’t wait to bring artists and music to this audience in a way that matches the moment.”
  • Apple Music has already revealed its first selection for the season. Lil Baby’s recently released single “Dead Fresh” will serve as the music for ESPN’s Week 1 promotional efforts.
  • The first Monday Night Football matchup of the season will see the Denver Broncos take on the Kansas City Chiefs on September 14 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
  • Apple Music’s weekly music selections will appear around several marquee Monday Night Football games throughout the season. The announced schedule includes the Broncos vs. Chiefs in Week 1, Buffalo Bills vs. Los Angeles Rams in Week 5, Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7, Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks in Week 13, New England Patriots vs. Chiefs in Week 15 and a Week 18 doubleheader, with the matchups for that week still to be determined.
  • “Lil Baby sets the tone at kickoff for us. The sound, energy, and moment are right, just like Pharrell’s beat,” said Curtis Friends, Vice President of Sports Marketing at ESPN. “This is the biggest season yet for ESPN, and Apple Music is perfect to help carry that energy from Monday Night Football all the way through to the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show.”
  • The collaboration also launches Apple Music’s official “Road to Halftime” countdown, which will follow the journey toward the Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show. The initiative will feature playlists, performances and other music-related content throughout the NFL season as fans count down to the big game.
  • Apple Music will continue sharing updates and content throughout the season across its social platforms, giving fans additional ways to follow the buildup to Super Bowl LXI.
  • The music partnership comes during a landmark NFL season for ESPN. The network will carry its largest NFL game portfolio to date, featuring 28 games along with Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027.
  • Monday Night Football will once again feature Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters and Laura Rutledge. Buck and Aikman are also entering their 25th season together as an NFL broadcast duo.
  • For ESPN, the season represents the culmination of a yearlong push toward its first Super Bowl production. The “Year of the Super Bowl” began immediately following Super Bowl LX with “The Handoff,” a 24-hour multiplatform event connecting Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium with Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
  • As the NFL season gets underway, the partnership with Apple Music adds another entertainment component to ESPN’s road to the Super Bowl. From the music heard during Monday Night Football promotions to the eventual halftime performance on football’s biggest stage, ESPN and Apple Music will have their collaboration woven throughout the journey to February 2027.
  • Super Bowl LXI will take place at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on February 14, 2027, with ESPN producing the Super Bowl for the first time.

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