''NFL Primetime'' is a sports television program that has aired on
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
since 1987. The show is presented similarly to ESPN's own ''
SportsCenter'', featuring scores, highlights, and analysis of every game of the week in the NFL.
When it debuted in 1987, the show aired every Sunday night during the NFL season. When
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
acquired the rights for Sunday night games beginning in the 2006, NBC also negotiated for exclusive rights for extended highlights during its ''
Football Night in America
''Football Night in America'' (''FNIA''), branded for sponsorship purposes as ''Football Night in America served by Applebee's'', is an American pre-game show that is broadcast on NBC, preceding its broadcasts of Sunday night and postseason Natio ...
'' pregame show, causing ESPN to begin airing ''NFL Primetime'' on Mondays. In 2019, the program was moved to
ESPN+
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
.
History
Format (1987–2005)
Until the
2006 season, ''Primetime'' aired every Sunday night during the
NFL season and it preceded ESPN's coverage of ''
Sunday Night Football'' (it even aired when ESPN did not have a Sunday night game, especially from
1990
File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...
to
1997 when
TNT
Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reagen ...
had Sunday night games the first half of the season). The show was hosted by
Chris Berman
Christopher James Berman (born May 10, 1955), nicknamed "Boomer", is an American sportscaster. He has been an anchor for ''SportsCenter'' on ESPN since 1979, joining a month after its initial launch, and hosted the network's '' Sunday NFL Count ...
, with analysis from
Tom Jackson. Berman and Jackson recapped Sunday afternoon's NFL games with highlights, statistics, and commentary.
Pete Axthelm
Pete Axthelm (August 27, 1943 – February 2, 1991) was a sportswriter and columnist for the '' New York Herald Tribune'', ''Sports Illustrated'', ''Newsweek'' and its ''Inside Sports''. During the 1980s, his knowledge of sports and journalistic ...
was a regular from
1987 until his death in
1991
File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...
. Through the show's history, other co-hosts included
John Saunders,
Robin Roberts,
Bill Pidto
Bill Pidto (born April 20, 1965) is a former radio personality on Mad Dog Radio on the show ''The B-Team'' and is currently an anchor for MSG Network's coverage of New York Rangers road games and select New York Knicks games. He was formerly a j ...
, and
Stuart Scott
Stuart Orlando Scott (July 19, 1965 – January 4, 2015) was an American sportscaster and anchor on ESPN, most notably on ''SportsCenter''. Well known for his hip-hop style and use of catchphrases, Scott was also a regular for the network i ...
. Pidto was often the target of good-natured ribbing by Berman, since Pidto often did recaps of games featuring losing teams. Roberts also seemed to be assigned to recap almost every game the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
played between
1990
File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...
and
1992
File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
, when the Bucs were fielding some of the worst teams in NFL history. The position of co-host was dropped prior to the start of the
1998 season.
Presentation
Rather than provide the usual package of scoring highlights, ''NFL Primetime'' presented extended highlights which also showed less dramatic plays. This provided context for the greater depth of analysis of each game. A common non-dramatic play that would be shown would be a game-clinching first down while a team was running out the clock. Some of the less dramatic plays would be used to demonstrate an overall large accomplishment. During the highlights for the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
-
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
matchup in
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
, when
Terrell Owens
Terrell Eldorado Owens (; born December 7, 1973), nicknamed T.O., is an American football wide receiver for the Knights of Degen of Fan Controlled Football (FCF). He previously played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. Regar ...
broke an NFL record by catching 20 passes in a game (since broken by
Brandon Marshall
Brandon Tyrone Marshall (born March 23, 1984) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCF Knights, and was drafted by ...
), all 20 of Owens's receptions were shown. Other examples involved seemingly unsuccessful plays ultimately benefitting a team. For the highlights of the
Buccaneers
Buccaneers were a kind of privateers or free sailors particular to the Caribbean Sea during the 17th and 18th centuries. First established on northern Hispaniola as early as 1625, their heyday was from the Restoration in 1660 until about 1688 ...
-
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
game in 2000, a contest marred by heavy rains which came down to the final minute, a play where Bucs running back
Warrick Dunn
Warrick De'Mon Dunn (born January 5, 1975) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12th overall in the 1997 ...
broke a tackle in his own end zone to avoid a safety was shown to demonstrate it as one of the biggest plays contributing to the Bucs's victory.
Highlights were generally shown in a relatively chronological order, with the 1:00 games shown first and the 4:00/4:15 games shown near the end of the program. However, on some occasions (particularly in Week 17 when teams would be making their final push for the playoffs), the highlights would be presented less chronologically. For Week 17 games, the highlights would instead be sorted by conference, with teams competing against each other for a playoff spot or a division title shown back-to-back. Probably the show's most notable occurrence with this scenario came in Week 17 of the
1999 season, when the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
and
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
tied in overall record, division record, conference record, and common opponent record, meaning that a spot involving the two teams would come down to point differential. As a result, both teams ran up the score against their opponents in their final games in order to try to outscore the other team in the race. For this scenario, the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
-Packers and the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
-Panthers highlights were shown simultaneously, with scoring by the teams in both games shown chronologically while a graphic would be shown featuring which team was leading at the time based on point differential.
Starting in
2003, a game with either high stakes for both teams or an exciting finish (typically a 1:00 game) would be chosen by Berman, Jackson, and their staff as that week's "Prime Cut." This game would be shown in the middle of the program with an extended lead-in by Berman. Also in 2003, a segment entitled "T.J.'s Extra Point" was introduced, where Jackson would demonstrate greater analysis over a strategy a team used to great success. At the end of the show, a segment entitled "Primetime Players" would feature both Berman and Jackson choosing a player or team unit that particularly impressed them from that week's games. At the turn of the millennium, a fan vote for that week's primetime player would also be conducted for the show on ESPN's website.
Music
A staple of the show was the various FirstCom Music instrumental pieces that played in the background during the highlights, while Berman and Jackson recapped each game. This often gave the games, even in highlight form, a more epic feel overall. This feature continues during highlights on ''The Blitz''.
For the most part, highlights from the show would feature FirstCom Music scores over the highlights. Some songs were even played on a consistent basis for certain teams. The
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
, for example, often had their game played out (regardless of outcome) to a dramatic piece entitled "Powersurge," featuring triumphant passages of brass instruments. The
Oakland Raiders, meanwhile, were often represented by an ominous-sounding piece called "Bad Company," that featured extensive use of minor-key strings, horns, and keyboards. Other songs were commonly used for certain situations. "International Statement," an epic-sounding song complete with a climactic build-up of low brass and strings that was arguably NFL Primetime's signature song, was often used for a high-stakes game, while "Grid-Lock," a lighter song featuring a more subdued introductory horn riff and an extended guitar solo (unusual for a song utilized in the program), was utilized for relatively unexciting games involving teams at the bottom of the standings.
On rare occasions, however, the standard FirstCom Music themes would be replaced by other music themes. For the
Raiders-
Pittsburgh Steelers matchup in 2000, which marked their last meeting at
Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL).
Buil ...
as well as the stadium's second to last game, the music was replaced by classic
NFL Films
NFL Productions, LLC, doing business as NFL Films, is the film and television production company of the National Football League. It produces commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries for and about the NFL, as well as ...
themes by
Sam Spence
Samuel Lloyd Spence (March 29, 1927February 6, 2016) was an American soundtrack composer best known for his work with NFL Films. His music has also been in the EA Sports '' Madden NFL'' football video games and many football-related commercials.
...
including "A Golden Boy Again" and "The Raiders," while Berman confused then-current Raiders and Steelers with legendary ones. A similar example involved the
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
-
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994.
The arr ...
matchup earlier in 2000, when the music was replaced by the
William Tell Overture
The ''William Tell'' Overture is the overture to the opera '' William Tell'' (original French title ''Guillaume Tell''), whose music was composed by Gioachino Rossini. ''William Tell'' premiered in 1829 and was the last of Rossini's 39 operas, a ...
to underscore the Rams as the "Greatest Show on Turf" (with the music subsequently muted when the Chargers were shown making a good play). On other occasions, non-standard music themes would interrupt the themes being played on the highlights. For the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
' final game at
RFK Stadium in
1996, a 36–10 win over the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
, the music was briefly replaced by their fight song "
Hail to the Redskins
"Hail to the Commanders" (HTTC) is the fight song of the Washington Commanders, an American football team belonging to the National Football League (NFL). At home games, the song is performed by the Washington Commanders Marching Band when the tea ...
" before returning to the previous standard theme for the final stats. In 2000, when the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
scored a touchdown after having failed to score one in their previous five games, the music was briefly interrupted with celebratory music before returning to the standard FirstCom theme for the remainder of the highlights.
Finally, music was occasionally altered on the program, particularly in situations involving injured players. On some occasions where a serious injury or other tragic event occurred, the music would be played at a noticeably softer volume than usual, or would be muted entirely until the highlight resumed. After then-
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
head coach Tony Dungy's son James committed suicide in 2005, the highlights for the Colts's first game after his death began with silence while tributes taking place during the game were shown, with the music only playing for the actual game itself.
Format (2006–present)
When
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
acquired the rights for
Sunday night games beginning in the
2006 season, NBC negotiated for exclusive rights for extended highlights during its ''
Football Night in America
''Football Night in America'' (''FNIA''), branded for sponsorship purposes as ''Football Night in America served by Applebee's'', is an American pre-game show that is broadcast on NBC, preceding its broadcasts of Sunday night and postseason Natio ...
'' pregame show. ESPN responded by moving the show to Mondays and splitting the program into two versions. ESPN shows ''NFL Primetime'' in its old format during the playoffs.
Early showing
Originally, the first version aired two-and-a-half hours before ESPN's telecast of ''
Monday Night Football
''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, A ...
'', normally 6p.m.
Eastern Time
The Eastern Time Zone (ET) is a time zone encompassing part or all of 23 states in the eastern part of the United States, parts of eastern Canada, the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico, Panama, Colombia, mainland Ecuador, Peru, and a small port ...
. It was hosted by
Stuart Scott
Stuart Orlando Scott (July 19, 1965 – January 4, 2015) was an American sportscaster and anchor on ESPN, most notably on ''SportsCenter''. Well known for his hip-hop style and use of catchphrases, Scott was also a regular for the network i ...
along with analysts
Ron Jaworski
Partner owner
, highlights=
* Pro Bowl (1980)
* Bert Bell Award (1980)
* Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
;NFL record
* Longest touchdown pass: 99 yards (tied)
, statlabel1= TD– INT
, statvalue1=179–164
, statlabel2=Yards
, statvalue2=28,19 ...
and
Mike Ditka
Michael Keller Ditka (born Michael Dyczko; October 18, 1939) is an American former football player, coach, and television commentator. A member of both the College (1986) and the Pro (1988) Football Halls of Fame, he was UPI NFL Rookie of Year i ...
and aired from the site of the Monday night game preceding ''
Monday Night Countdown
''ESPN Monday Night Countdown'' (officially ''Monday Night Countdown presented by Subway'') is an American pregame television program that is broadcast on ESPN, preceding ''Monday Night Football''. When it debuted in 1993 as ''NFL Prime Monday'', ...
''. (The program broadcast from a
parking lot
A parking lot (American English) or car park (British English), also known as a car lot, is a cleared area intended for parking vehicles. The term usually refers to an area dedicated only for parking, with a durable or semi-durable surface ...
set, in contrast to ''Monday Night Countdown'', which takes place inside the
stadium
A stadium ( : stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand o ...
. When the package began with two Monday night games on September 11, 2006, ''Primetime'' aired from
McAfee Coliseum
Oakland Coliseum, currently branded as RingCentral Coliseum, is a stadium in Oakland, California. It is part of the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Complex, with the adjacent Oakland Arena, near Interstate 880. The Coliseum is the home ba ...
in
Oakland, California
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...
, while ''Countdown'' originated at
FedExField
FedExField (originally Jack Kent Cooke Stadium) is an American football stadium located in Summerfield, Maryland, east of Washington, D.C. The stadium is the home of the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). From 2004 u ...
in
Landover, Maryland
Landover is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 25,998.
Landover is contained between Sheriff Road and Central Avenue to the so ...
).
Due to low ratings (partially due to the repositioning of what was a Sunday evening staple), this early edition of ''NFL Primetime'' was relocated to the ESPN studios in
Bristol, Connecticut
Bristol is a suburban city located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, southwest-west of Hartford. The city is also 120 miles southwest from Boston, and approximately 100 miles northeast of New York City. As of the 2020 census, th ...
every other week starting October 16.
In 2007, this show gained a new time slot, 4p.m. ET, switching with ''
SportsCenter Monday Kickoff'', all programs were moved to the Bristol studio, and the second version's hosts (see below) were also assigned to the earlier show. Scott was sent to a new remote set used by ''
Monday Night Countdown
''ESPN Monday Night Countdown'' (officially ''Monday Night Countdown presented by Subway'') is an American pregame television program that is broadcast on ESPN, preceding ''Monday Night Football''. When it debuted in 1993 as ''NFL Prime Monday'', ...
''.
Late showing
The second version airs ninety minutes after ''Monday Night Football'' ends, and it originates from the ESPN studios. This edition is hosted by the ''
NFL Live
''NFL Live'' (stylized as ''NFL Live presented by Autotrader'' for sponsorship reasons) is an American National Football League (NFL) studio show, currently airing Monday through Friday at 3:00 p.m ET on sports cable channel ESPN. Formerly know ...
'' team of
Trey Wingo
Hal Chapman Wingo III (; born September 19, 1963), known as Trey Wingo, is the former co-host of ESPN '' Golic and Wingo'', '' SportsCenter'', and ''NFL Live''. He has previously served as host of the Women's NCAA basketball tournament. He curre ...
and analysts
Merril Hoge
Merril DuAine Hoge (; born January 26, 1965) is a former professional American football player. He played eight seasons at running back for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears, retiring after the 1994 season. Since 1996 he had been a ...
, and occasionally
Mark Schlereth or
Mike Ditka
Michael Keller Ditka (born Michael Dyczko; October 18, 1939) is an American former football player, coach, and television commentator. A member of both the College (1986) and the Pro (1988) Football Halls of Fame, he was UPI NFL Rookie of Year i ...
. In
2008,
Trent Dilfer
Trent Farris Dilfer (born March 13, 1972) is a former American football quarterback and analyst who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He is best known as the starting quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens during their Su ...
joined as an analyst. In 2011,
Tim Hasselbeck
Timothy Thomas Hasselbeck (born April 6, 1979) is an American sports journalist and former American football quarterback who currently works as an analyst for ESPN. He played eight seasons in the NFL with the New York Giants, Washington Redskin ...
replaced Dilfer. This is the only version of the show to actually be in primetime, albeit only on the
West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to:
Geography Australia
* Western Australia
*Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia
* West Coast, Tasmania
**West Coast Range, mountain range in the region
Canada
* Britis ...
at 10:00 p.m.
PT or slightly later. This version re-airs Tuesday afternoons at 2:00 p.m.
ET.
Both versions show highlights, but for a shorter period of time than on the older program and with more extended analysis segments. The highlights on the current incarnation of ''NFL Primetime'' tend to be more story driven, emphasizing key player performances or game storylines as opposed to a normal recap that is found on ''
SportsCenter''. Both shows are presented by
Miller Lite
Miller Lite is a 4.2% ABV light American lager beer sold by Molson Coors (previously MillerCoors) of Chicago, Illinois. The company also produces Miller Genuine Draft and Miller High Life. Miller Lite competes mainly with Anheuser-Busch' ...
.
On December 24, 2011, during week 16 of the
2011 NFL season, ESPN aired ''Primetime'' in its classic timeslot and format, with Berman and Jackson recapping the action. This was due to the weekend's NFL games being played on Saturday of that weekend, and with the NBC contract running for Sundays only, ESPN its first original ''Primetime'' in 6 years.
2019–present: ''NFL Primetime'' on ESPN+
On September 13, 2019, ESPN announced that Berman and Jackson would return for a new digital-only edition of ''NFL Primetime'', streaming weekly throughout the NFL season on
ESPN+
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
beginning on September 15, 2019 (in time for Week 2 highlights). The program streams live at 7:30p.m. ET on Sundays and is updated with highlights for the Sunday and Monday night games upon their completion.
Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, in 2020 Jackson opted out of the program. He was replaced by
Booger McFarland
Anthony Darelle "Booger" McFarland (born December 18, 1977) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Louisiana State University and wa ...
.
As for ESPN itself, this show was replaced with a new program, ''NFL Rewind'' (also hosted by Wingo with Tim Hasselbeck and former NFL head coach John Fox as analysts), which follows the same format as ''NFL Primetime''.
''The Blitz'' (2006–2016)
Following the re-tooling of ''NFL Primetime'', Chris Berman and Tom Jackson were given an extended segment of the Sunday night edition of ''
SportsCenter'' (11 p.m.
ET) called ''The Blitz''. The segment follows the same structure as the original version of ''NFL Primetime'', featuring Berman and Jackson using the same player nicknames, catch phrases, and back-and-forth banter as the original show.
On January 8, 2007, Chris Berman and Tom Jackson returned to ''NFL Primetime'' to present highlights of the
2006 NFL Playoffs games between the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
and the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
and the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
and the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
, and they remained for the entire postseason that followed.
ESPN has not used the NFL name or logo in the official segment name or in
advertising
Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...
, leading to unconfirmed rumors of not being given permission to do so by the league. In 2007, however, on-screen graphics surrounding the set has referred to both "The Blitz" and "NFL Blitz."
Nike
Nike often refers to:
* Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory
* Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment
Nike may also refer to:
People
* Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
sponsored the segments in both years in 2006 and '07; it was replaced by
Old Spice
Old Spice is an American brand of male grooming products encompassing aftershaves, deodorants and antiperspirants, shampoos, body washes, and soaps. It is manufactured by Procter & Gamble.
Old Spice was launched as Early American Old Spice by W ...
in 2008.
Early ''SportsCenter'' (2008–2016)
In 2008, an extended version of ''The Blitz'' has aired as part of ''SportsCenter'' from 7 to 8 or 8:15 p.m. ET. The hosts are Berman, Jackson, Saunders and
Trent Dilfer
Trent Farris Dilfer (born March 13, 1972) is a former American football quarterback and analyst who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He is best known as the starting quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens during their Su ...
. In addition to highlights, the network has extended additional game statistics, standings, and leaderboards on the right-hand portion of the screen. It is in direct competition to ''Football Night in America'', although it is believed that ''FNIA'' still has the official advantage in percentage of the show devoted to highlights. Coincidentally, the revamp of ''SportsCenter'' came after NBC hired
Dan Patrick Dan Patrick may refer to:
* Dan Patrick (ice hockey) (born 1938), Canadian ice hockey player
* Dan Patrick (politician) (born 1950), Lieutenant Governor of Texas and political and sports radio journalist
* Dan Patrick (sportscaster) (born 1956), Ame ...
to team with
Keith Olbermann
Keith Theodore Olbermann (; born January 27, 1959) is an American sports and political commentator and writer.
Olbermann spent the first 20 years of his career in sports journalism. He was a sports correspondent for CNN and for local TV and r ...
on ''FNIA'' highlights; Patrick and Olbermann were the premier anchor team on that show in the 1990s.
Personalities
Current
*
Chris Berman
Christopher James Berman (born May 10, 1955), nicknamed "Boomer", is an American sportscaster. He has been an anchor for ''SportsCenter'' on ESPN since 1979, joining a month after its initial launch, and hosted the network's '' Sunday NFL Count ...
(Full season host, 1987–2005 and 2019–present, contributor and playoff host 2006–present)
*
Booger McFarland
Anthony Darelle "Booger" McFarland (born December 18, 1977) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Louisiana State University and wa ...
(Full season analyst, 2020–present)
*
Scott Van Pelt
Scott Van Pelt (born ) is an American sportscaster and sports talk show host. He co-anchored the 11 p.m. edition of ''SportsCenter'' on ESPN, served as the co-host of '' SVP & Russillo'' alongside Ryen Russillo on ESPN Radio, and hosts various ...
(Late game host, 2019–present)
*
Ryan Clark (Fill-in analyst, 2019–present)
*
Wendi Nix
Wendi Nix (born September 17, 1974) is an American anchor and sports reporter for ESPN.
Professional
Nix is the former co-host of ESPN's number one program, ''NFL Live''. Nix primarily handles coverage for NFL and college football games featurin ...
(Host, 2020–present)
*
Marcus Spears (Analyst, 2020–present)
*
Steve Young
Jon Steven Young (born October 11, 1961) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. He also played for the Tampa Bay Buccane ...
(Super Bowl analyst)
*
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss (born February 13, 1977) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Tennessee ...
(Super Bowl analyst)
Former
*
Tom Jackson (Full season analyst, 1987–2005 and 2019–2020, contributor and playoff analyst 2006–2016)
*
Pete Axthelm
Pete Axthelm (August 27, 1943 – February 2, 1991) was a sportswriter and columnist for the '' New York Herald Tribune'', ''Sports Illustrated'', ''Newsweek'' and its ''Inside Sports''. During the 1980s, his knowledge of sports and journalistic ...
(Host, 1987–1990)
*
John Saunders (Host, 1987–1989)
*
Bill Pidto
Bill Pidto (born April 20, 1965) is a former radio personality on Mad Dog Radio on the show ''The B-Team'' and is currently an anchor for MSG Network's coverage of New York Rangers road games and select New York Knicks games. He was formerly a j ...
(Host, 1995–1996)
*
Robin Roberts (Host, 1990–1994)
*
Stuart Scott
Stuart Orlando Scott (July 19, 1965 – January 4, 2015) was an American sportscaster and anchor on ESPN, most notably on ''SportsCenter''. Well known for his hip-hop style and use of catchphrases, Scott was also a regular for the network i ...
(Host, 1997–2006)
*
Mike Golic
Michael Louis Golic Sr. (; born December 12, 1962) is a former National Football League (NFL) defensive lineman and television host. Golic is well known for his 25-year association with ESPN, most notably co-hosting ESPN Radio's '' Mike & Mike'' ...
(Analyst, 2006)
*
Ron Jaworski
Partner owner
, highlights=
* Pro Bowl (1980)
* Bert Bell Award (1980)
* Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
;NFL record
* Longest touchdown pass: 99 yards (tied)
, statlabel1= TD– INT
, statvalue1=179–164
, statlabel2=Yards
, statvalue2=28,19 ...
(Analyst, 2006)
*
Mike Ditka
Michael Keller Ditka (born Michael Dyczko; October 18, 1939) is an American former football player, coach, and television commentator. A member of both the College (1986) and the Pro (1988) Football Halls of Fame, he was UPI NFL Rookie of Year i ...
(Analyst, 2006–2007)
*
Mark Schlereth (Analyst, 2006–2007)
*
Trent Dilfer
Trent Farris Dilfer (born March 13, 1972) is a former American football quarterback and analyst who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He is best known as the starting quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens during their Su ...
(Analyst 2008–2010)
*
Merril Hoge
Merril DuAine Hoge (; born January 26, 1965) is a former professional American football player. He played eight seasons at running back for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears, retiring after the 1994 season. Since 1996 he had been a ...
(Analyst, 2006 – 2016)
*
Trey Wingo
Hal Chapman Wingo III (; born September 19, 1963), known as Trey Wingo, is the former co-host of ESPN '' Golic and Wingo'', '' SportsCenter'', and ''NFL Live''. He has previously served as host of the Women's NCAA basketball tournament. He curre ...
(Host, 2006 – 2019)
*
Tim Hasselbeck
Timothy Thomas Hasselbeck (born April 6, 1979) is an American sports journalist and former American football quarterback who currently works as an analyst for ESPN. He played eight seasons in the NFL with the New York Giants, Washington Redskin ...
(Analyst, 2011 – 2020)
*
John Fox (Analyst, 2019)
*
Jeff Saturday
Jeffrey Bryant Saturday (born June 18, 1975) is an American football coach and former center who is the interim head coach for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of North Ca ...
(Analyst, 2017–2018 and 2020–2022)
See also
* ''
Monday Night Countdown
''ESPN Monday Night Countdown'' (officially ''Monday Night Countdown presented by Subway'') is an American pregame television program that is broadcast on ESPN, preceding ''Monday Night Football''. When it debuted in 1993 as ''NFL Prime Monday'', ...
''
* ''
Monday Night Football
''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, A ...
''
* ''
NFL Insiders
''NFL Insiders'' was a National Football League studio show, that aired Monday through Friday at 3:00 p.m. ET on ESPN. The football-themed show replaced ''NFL 32'' on August 5, 2013. The program was one of the only NFL-related studio programs ...
''
* ''
NFL Live
''NFL Live'' (stylized as ''NFL Live presented by Autotrader'' for sponsorship reasons) is an American National Football League (NFL) studio show, currently airing Monday through Friday at 3:00 p.m ET on sports cable channel ESPN. Formerly know ...
''
* ''
NFL Matchup
''NFL Matchup'' is a National Football League (NFL) preview show that airs every week during the regular season and playoffs. At various times, the official name was based on the current sponsor in the format '' ponsor NameNFL Matchup''. Since 201 ...
''
* ''
Sunday NFL Countdown''
References
Press Release
External links
Official show page
{{National Football League on television and radio, state=collapsed
ESPN original programming
1987 American television series debuts
1990s American television series
2000s American television series
2010s American television series
2020s American television series
Sunday Night Football
National Football League pregame television series