Shifting Strategy for Monday Nights
For several seasons, the NFL utilized a broadcast agreement with Disney that resulted in the simultaneous airing of two Monday Night Football games across ABC and ESPN. This arrangement was originally designed to expand the league's broadcast portfolio. However, following a recent deal that saw Disney acquire control of NFL Network, the league has officially decided to retire the format of overlapping Monday night contests.
Fan Feedback Drives Change
Hans Schroeder, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of NFL Media, addressed the change during a recent press conference. He candidly noted that the league and its partners at Disney had misjudged how audiences would respond to having two marquee games on at the exact same time.
«One of the things we realized with Disney collectively, when we did the deal five years ago, we thought adding two games on Monday night would be a great thing for fans. It was more free football that was outside of a Sunday afternoon. And I think we collectively struggled and realized fans felt like they were conflicted to choose between those games,» Schroeder explained.
Planning for the 2026 Season
With the dual-game format eliminated, the league is now looking at alternative ways to schedule those remaining matchups. Schroeder confirmed that the NFL currently has five games designated for the 2026 season that have not yet been assigned to a specific time slot or platform.
The league is exploring several distribution avenues for these games, considering both traditional broadcast networks and streaming services. Potential options under discussion include:
- Utilizing the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, often referred to as “Thanksgiving Eve.”
- Exploring new broadcast windows throughout the season.
- Considering additional Saturday games late in the season.
Schroeder emphasized that the league intends to rely on data and viewership metrics to determine the optimal placement for these games. The final schedule for these contests is expected to be unveiled alongside the full 2026 NFL schedule, which is typically released in May.