Busy Day........
Colin Cowherd is leaving ESPN. Ryan Glasspiegel, from The Big Lead, broke the news this morning, with network's biggest radio star departing at the end of his contract and will likely land at Fox Sports. He will be reunited with new FOX Sports President Jamie Horowitz, likely on Fox Sports 1. The network later confirmed his departure in a statement by ESPN President John Skipper. Cowherd is the third major talent to depart Bristol, with network cutting ties with Bill Simmons in May and announcing the departure of Keith Olbermann just a week ago.
ESPN will air Saturday Night NBA games this coming season on ABC. The World Wide will move their contractually scheduled Sunday games from doubleheaders and will air them on Saturday night games beginning January 23rd at 8:30 p.m.
FOX's coverage of the 2015 MLB All-Star Game drew a record low of 6.6 rating, lowest since 2012's 6.8 rating. The 10.9 million viewers was down from last year's 11.3 million during with Derek Jeter's final All-Star appearance.
ESPN sent out a major release detailing their NFL programming for all its platforms this fall, so here's a summary of what they have in store for TV (and some radio)
- Monday Night Football once again will air 17 games up to Week 16. Mike Tirico and Jon Gruden return for their second season (third overall) and will be joined by Lisa Salters. Chris Berman and Trent Dilfer return for the second doubleheader game. MNF will also premiere a new opening theme package directed by Friday Night Light director Peter Berg. The package will encompass four decades of Monday Night Football and American pop culture.
- Berman will once again host Sunday NFL Countdown with the newest addition to the program, former Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis. He will be joined by returning analysts Mike Ditka, Cris Carter, Keyshawn Johnson and Tom Jackson. Suzy Kolber will work twice a month on site of the game with the most interest on Sunday afternoons with either Ron Jaworski or Merril Hodge.
- ESPN’s SportsCenter, ESPNews and various other programs will feature an armada of hired NFL analysts including their new hires Lewis, along with Mark Brunell, Bryan Clarke, Jeff Saturday and Jerome Bettis. This will include a number of already hired talent which includes: Eric Allen, Tedy Bruschi, Herm Edwards, Mike Golic, Tim Hasselbeck, Hoge, Jaworski, Eric Mangini, Antonio Pierce, Mark Schlereth, Marcellus Wiley, Darren Woodson, Damien Woody, and Steve Young
- New Programming includes a daily show NFL Insiders featuring non-athletic NFL analysts working in studio. Suzy Kolber (or Wendy Nix) host with Chris Mortensen, Adam Schefter and former NFL executives Bill Polian and Phil Savage, and various NFL reporters. It will be followed by the returning NFL Live hosted by Trey Wingo along with NFL analysts
- Colin Cowherd will premiere a new one hour Football show on ESPN2 Sundays at 9 a.m. discussing NFL and College Football. It will be followed by 2 hours of Fantasy Football Now hosted by Robert Flores with Fantasy guru Matthew Berry, Hasselbeck and injury expert Stephania Bell
- ESPN Radio will air Sunday afternoon out of market games featuring the New York Giants, New York Jets, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins. The games will be air on radio affiliates with ESPN personalities calling the game
ESPN Sunday NFL Programming
Snickers NFL Matchup; ESPN 3:30 a.m. or 4 a.m.
SportsCenter; ESPN 8 a.m.
Sunday NFL Countdown; ESPN 10 a.m.
Colin’s New Football Show; ESPN2 9 a.m.; Host: Colin Cowherd
SportsCenter; ESPN2 10 a.m.
Fantasy Football Now; ESPN2 11 a.m.
SportsCenter; ESPN 7 p.m
SportsCenter: 'The Blitz'; ESPN 11:30 p.m (Berman, Jackson)
ESPN Weekday NFL Programming
NFL Insiders: Weekdays, 3 p.m (Thirty minutes on Tuesdays)
NFL Live: Weekdays, 4 p.m.SportsCenter; Weeknights 6 p.m. ET
NFL Primetime: Monday, 2 p.m.
Monday Night Countdown: Monday, 6 p.m.
Monday Night Football: Monday, 8:25 p.m.
Mike and Mike’s Best of the NFL; Tuesday 3:30PM
NFL Kickoff, Friday 7 p.m.
Sunday NFL Countdown; Sunday 10 a.m.
Studio: Chris Berman, Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom
Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson, Ray Lewis
Studio/Game Site: Suzy Kolber, Ron Jaworski or Merril Hodge
Reporters: Chris Mortensen, Adam Schefter, Josina Anderson, Bob Holtzman, Sal Paolantonio, Ed
Werder; Predictions: Frank Caliendo
Monday Night Countdown: Monday, 7 p.m. ET
Studio Set: Berman, Carter, Ditka, Johnson, Jackson, Lewis
Onsite Set: Stuart Scott; Trent Dilfer, Steve Young
Reporters: Mortensen, Schefter, Lisa Salters; Contributor: Rick Reilly
ESPN Monday Night Football Schedule; Monday 8:30 p.m. (Week 2-16; Week 1 Doubleheader)
Announcers: Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden; Reporter: Lisa Salters
Week 1: Monday, September 9; Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins - 6:55 p.m.
Week 1: Monday, September 9; Houston Texans at San Diego Chargers - 10:15 p.m.
Week 2: Monday, September 16; Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals
Week 3: Monday, September 23; Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos
Week 4: Monday, September 30; Miami Dolphins at New Orleans Saints
Week 5: Monday, October 7; New York Jets at Atlanta Falcons
Week 6: Monday, October 14; Indianapolis Colts at San Diego Chargers
Week 7: Monday, October 21; Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants
Week 8: Monday, October 28; Seattle Seahawks at St. Louis Rams
Week 9: Monday, November 4; Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers
Week 10: Monday, November 11; Miami Dolphins at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 11: Monday, November 18; New England Patriots at Carolina Panthers
Week 12: Monday, November 25; San Francisco 49ers at Washington Redskins
Week 13: Monday, December 2; New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks
Week 14: Monday, December 9; Dallas Cowboys at Chicago Bears
Week 15: Monday, December 16; Baltimore Ravens at Detroit Lions
Week 16: Monday, December 23; Atlanta Falcons at San Francisco 49ers
NFL on ESPN Radio
Talent: Sean McDonough, Bill Rosinski, Marc Kestecher, Ryan Ruocco, Herm Edwards, Bill Polian, Damien Woody, Shaun O’Hara
Week 1: Sunday, September 8; Tennessee Titans at Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 2: Sunday, September 15; Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears
Week 3: Sunday, September 22; New York Giants at Carolina Panthers
Week 4: Sunday, September 29; Pittsburgh Steelers at Minnesota Vikings
Week 5: Sunday, October 6; Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants
* - Rest of the Schedule TBA
