ESPN has come out with some details on what a week 18 for the NFL means for ESPN and ABC.
What’s Happening:
- The NFL has announced the addition of week 18 to the NFL schedule this year, increasing the amount of games for the season to 17 per team.
- With the addition, ESPN will air a Monday Night Football game in week 17.
- ABC and ESPN will simulcast two week 18 Saturday games.
More on the New ESPN/NFL Deal:
- ABC/ESPN will carry two Super Bowls — 2026, 2030. The last Super Bowl to air on ABC was in 2006.
- ESPN+ will get one annual exclusive game beginning in the 2022 season. The game will take place internationally and will be aired live in the Sunday morning ET window.
- ESPN will have the opportunity to simulcast all ESPN/ABC game telecasts on ESPN+.
- ESPN will increase its regular-season schedule by 35% — six more games per year (from 17 to 23). It will include an ESPN game on Monday nights (including three weeks with a separate game on ABC), a Saturday doubleheader the season’s final week, and the Sunday morning game on ESPN+.
- ESPN will add an annual divisional round game to its schedule, which will continue to include a wild-card matchup.
- The NFL will be able to swap a more meaningful game into the Monday Night Football slot with 12 days’ notice from Week 12 on.
- ESPN will continue to have the rights to the annual Pro Bowl.
- ESPN will also continue to obtain the rights to NFL Drafts.
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