ESPN Signs Five-Year Deal To Air NFL Super Wild Card Weekend Monday Game
Wednesday, October 13, 2021 at 02:05PM By Barry Janoff
October 13, 2021: ESPN said today it has won the rights to broadcast the final game of the NFL’s Super Wild Card Weekend for the next five years, as an organic continuation of Monday Night Football.
The league's first scheduled weekday prime-time playoff game is Jan. 17, 2022.
Beginning with the 2023 NFL season, ESPN said it would add an NFL Divisional round game to its post-season schedule while continuing to air its existing Wild Card game.
Beginning with the 2026 season, ESPN/ABC will be added to the NFL Super Bowl rotation, with games currently scheduled for Super Bowl LX (February 2027 for the 2026 season) and Super Bowl LXIV (February 2031 for the 2030 season).
The ESPN/ABC Super Wild Card Weekend broadcast will include a traditional telecast with Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Louis Riddick, Lisa Salters and John Parry.
It will also air Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli on ESPN2 and ESPN+, and a Spanish broadcast on ESPN Deportes.
In addition, the game will be streamed across devices on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ABC and NFL digital properties, and on mobile via Yahoo Sports and the mobile properties of the two participating teams.
The 2021 post-season Super Wild Card Weekend will feature two games on Saturday, Jan. 15; three on Sunday, Jan. 16; and the Monday finale on ESPN.
CBS and NBC will broadcast two games each in this round, while Fox will air the other.
The NFL also said that, following last year’s NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon, which was a success in the ratings and won two Sports Emmy Awards, Nickelodeon, CBS Sports and the league are bringing “slimetime” back to prime time with a Wild Card game scheduled for Jan. 16.
The NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon — with new content specially created for kids and families — will air alongside CBS Sports’ coverage of the game.
NFL Plans Wilder Wild Card Weekend
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