The potential acquisition of specific NFL Media assets by ESPN could lead to the cessation of doubleheaders on “Monday Night Football,” according to a report from Front Office Sports on Monday.
The FOS report was released before Monday’s “MNF” doubleheader. The Detroit Lions are scheduled to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 7 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN), followed by the Seattle Seahawks hosting the Houston Texans at 10 p.m. ET (ESPN).
The “MNF” doubleheader in the 2025 season could be the last if the proposed deal between ESPN and the NFL is finalized. The agreement, which was initially announced in August, is still pending approval from federal regulators.
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If approved, ESPN would gain control of select NFL Media properties, including NFL RedZone and NFL Network, from the NFL in exchange for a 10% ownership stake in ESPN, potentially valued at billions of dollars.
According to FOS, the agreement would see ESPN discontinue the “MNF” doubleheaders, despite an increase in its rights package from 25 to 28 games. ESPN would assume the rights to three games previously broadcast on NFL Network. The NFL would retain the rights to four other games that formerly aired on NFL Network and offer them to the market, according to the report.
FOS reports that all 28 games in ESPN’s rights package would be aired in guaranteed standalone windows on ESPN and NFL Network. Some of the ESPN games would also be broadcast on ABC. ESPN/ABC would broadcast 21 games, while seven would be shown on NFL Network.
When would the games be broadcast?
With an increased number of games and the elimination of doubleheaders on Mondays, the question arises as to where the additional games would be scheduled. According to FOS, ESPN would broadcast 17 standalone “Monday Night Football” games each week, with the exception of the final week of the regular season, which features a traditional Saturday doubleheader in Week 18 without overlapping games, along with two playoff games to reach a total of 21 games.
The remaining seven games under their control would be broadcast on NFL Network, including international matchups and late-season Saturday games, according to FOS.
The decision to eliminate “Monday Night Football” doubleheaders is likely to be well-received by fans, as the current doubleheader schedule often presents logistical challenges for viewers. Currently, the games are either scheduled to overlap or are staggered, with the late game concluding well after midnight in the Eastern time zone, as is the case with Monday’s Texans-Seahawks game.
FOS reports that the ESPN-NFL deal would need to be approved by the spring for the new schedule and game distribution to be implemented for the 2026 season.
