ABC is diving deeper into the NFL pool, tacking on six more "Monday Night Football" simulcasts with ESPN. It's a move that's as much about driving ratings as it is about flexing muscle.
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ABC's back in the football business in a big way, and this decision is only the latest example. The total number of games airing on ABC this season? Seventeen. That's no accident.
When the NFL and Disney huddle up, it's never just for fun. They're thinking big, and this move shows it. Additions like the Buffalo Bills against the New York Jets this coming Monday and key matchups such as Baltimore at Tampa Bay (Oct. 21) and Houston at Dallas (Nov. 18) aren't just filling slots — they're setting the stage for blockbuster ratings.
Disney isn't missing an opportunity to cash in, especially with ratings jumping 29% last season, thanks to putting "Monday Night Football" on ABC all 18 weeks due to Hollywood's strike-shortened schedule.
And what happened? Viewers flocked. "Monday Night Football" averaged 17.36 million last season across ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2. Biggest numbers since 2000. No one's turning back now. Certainly not the NFL.
What's the endgame? It's pretty clear — Disney is putting more sports on ABC, ramping up for the big stages. We're talking Super Bowl LXI in 2027, the College Football Playoff championship moving to the network that same year.
This is a long-term strategy. More sports, more eyeballs, more ad dollars.
As for the games themselves? Monday's AFC East showdown between Aaron Rodgers' Jets and Josh Allen's Bills is an easy sell. New York's coming in with interim coach Jeff Ulbrich after firing Robert Saleh following a disappointing 2-3 start.
Throw in the Rodgers vs. Allen QB drama, and you've got must-watch television. ABC knows it, the NFL knows it, and viewers? They're here for it.
Bottom line? ABC's back in the NFL game, and they're here to make noise. And if the NFL has its way, this partnership won't just be about a few extra games. It's a statement: prime-time football is getting bigger, and ABC is making sure it's front and center.
