ESPN NFL Programming Notes – Week 8

Football Boosts ESPN and ESPN2 to Best October Ever

With strong ratings from ESPN’s Monday Night Football – including the most-watched telecast in cable history, Green Bay at Minnesota on Oct. 5 – and NFL studio shows, college football and College GameDay and SportsCenter, plus ESPN2's offering of college football, First Take and the new SportsNation, each of the two networks posted its most-watched October in history. ESPN averaged 1,045,000 homes on a 24-hour basis, up 14% from 918,000 in 2008 and beating the record set in 2006 (1,023,000).  ESPN2 posted a total-day average of 275,000 households, up 5% from 263,000 last year and besting the previous mark set in 2007 (270,000).

ESPN’s Eagles-Redskins MNF Game Wins the Night in All Key Male and Adult Demos

This week’s MNF telecast between the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins (Oct. 26) delivered the biggest audience of the night among all networks in all key male and adult demos. The Eagles’ 27-17 road win over their NFC East rivals earned a 9.4 rating, representing an average of 9,258,000 households (12,766,000 viewers – P2+). To view the entire release, click here .

Monday Night Football: Atlanta Falcons at Undefeated New Orleans Saints

Drew Brees and the undefeated New Orleans Saints (6-0) will host NFC South rival Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons (4-2) on Monday Night Football at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN HD. Mike Tirico (play-by-play) and analysts Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski will call the game with reporters Suzy Kolber and Michele Tafoya. Álvaro Martin (play-by-play) and Raúl Allegre (analyst) will call the Spanish-language telecast on ESPN Deportes with reporter John Sutcliffe.

ESPN’s “game around the game” coverage will include NFL Live at 3:30 p.m. and continue throughout the day with SportsCenter Monday Kickoff at 6 p.m. and the 90-minute Monday Night Countdown pre-game at 7 p.m., hosted by Chris Berman with analysts Cris Carter , Mike Ditka , Tom Jackson , Keyshawn Johnson , senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen , and NFL Insider Adam Schefter . Stuart Scott , Matt Millen and Steve Young will be on-site at the Louisiana Superdome.

Extensive Coverage of Favre’s Return to Lambeau Field

ESPN will present extensive coverage in anticipation of Vikings quarterback Brett Favre’s return to Lambeau Field for the first time Sunday to face the Packers, including:

• ESPN.com – a special report by ESPN.com’s Elizabeth Merrill on Packers general manager Ted Thompson, the man at the epicenter of the Favre saga; video commentary throughout the week, including ESPN analyst Steve Young on Favre’s return to Green Bay; live blogging all week from NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert, plus why the Favre saga doesn’t transcend this game; and a Scouts Inc. game preview.
• ESPN’s Wendi Nix will report live from Green Bay the rest of the week, appearing on SportsCenter, NFL Live and other programs;
• Sunday NFL Countdown (Sunday, 11 a.m.) – ESPN’s Ed Werder will report live from the Vikings-Packers game, as will Kenny Mayne, who will talk with fans outside Lambeau. ESPN correspondent Tom Rinaldi has a feature on what old-time Packers (Willie Davis, Jerry Kramer, Fuzzy Thurston) and former teammates (Leroy Butler and Antonio Freeman) think of Favre’s return to Green Bay. “Mayne Event” will re-live some memorable past “Mayne Events” featuring Favre cameos. The EA Sports Virtual Playbook with Tom Jackson will also highlight the matchup of Favre versus Packers cornerback Al Harris.
• ESPN Radio - Regularly scheduled NFL guests on Mike & Mike in the Morning (6-10 a.m.) including Jon Gruden (Thursdays 6:42) and Ron Jaworski (Fridays 8:10) will discuss Favre’s return; Colin Cowherd, host of The Herd with Colin Cowherd (10 a.m.-2 p.m. M-F), will “rant” abut Favre’s return, joined in studio by former Packer and Favre teammate William Henderson Thursday at 1:40 p.m.; “The Sporting Life with Jeremy Schaap” at 10 p.m. Friday will feature excerpts of the Sunday NFL Countdown feature on Favre, hosted by NFL Live and NFL Primetime’s Trey Wingo, and feature guests Marcus Allen, Jon Gruden and Curtis Martin who had similar experiences in their NFL careers.

NFL Standouts on ESPN Campus: William Henderson, Chad Ochocinco and Bart Scott

A trio of NFL standouts will be visiting the ESPN campus in Bristol, Conn., in the week ahead. Former Packers running back William Henderson and Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco make the trip Thursday, Oct. 29, while New York Jets linebacker Bart Scott will do so on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

On the verge of the Vikings-Packers game this week, Henderson will discuss his former teammate Brett Favre among other topics. He is scheduled to appear in-studio on First Take (11:30 a.m., ESPN2); The Herd with Colin Cowherd (1:40 p.m., ESPN Radio / ESPNU); ESPNEWS (3:10 p.m.); and The Scott Van Pelt Show (3:40 p.m., ESPN Radio / ESPN2).

Ochocinco will appear on First Take “1st & 10” to debate Skip Bayless (10 a.m., ESPN2), SportsCenter (12:45 p.m., ESPN), NFL Live (4 p.m., ESPN) and in a taped segment for an upcoming “Mayne Event” on Sunday NFL Countdown.

Scott will appear in-studio on Mike & Mike in the Morning (9:40 a.m., ESPN Radio/ESPN2), First Take (11 a.m., ESPN2), The Herd (ESPN Radio/ESPNU), ESPNEWS (2:10 p.m.), The Scott Van Pelt Show (3:10 p.m., ESPN Radio/ESPN2), NFL Live (4 p.m., ESPN), and SportsNation (4 p.m., ESPN2). 

-30-