Good news for “Manningcast” fans: The concept is coming to more sports.
Disney/ESPN announced on Wednesday the network has agreed to a deal with Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions group to expand the side-cast concept to other sports, such as UFC, golf and college football.
“I’ve always loved talking football with my brother, and it was even more fun to do it while watching ESPN’s ‘Monday Night Football’. Eli and I are excited to sign on for another season, and the entire Omaha team is looking forward to producing MegaCasts that celebrate other sports,” Peyton Manning said in a statement.
Peyton Manning and his brother, Eli, hung out in their own living rooms and talked to each other and various guests — among them Aaron Rodgers, Pat McAfee, Russell Wilson and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson — for a little over half of ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” telecasts this past season, plus a wild-card playoff game.
As the concept expands to other sports, new talents with expertise in those sports will be leveraged as the hosts.
ESPN has already moved on plans for a sidecast for “Sunday Night Baseball,” headlined by Alex Rodriguez and Michael Kay, which will be broadcast during 10 to 12 games next season.
The Mannings also added a year to their existing three-year pact, meaning the brothers will be doing the “Manningcast” for ESPN through at least the 2024 NFL season.
“We couldn’t be more proud of ‘Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli’ and the partnership we’ve developed with Peyton, Eli and the team at Omaha Productions,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said. “This new agreement allows us to deepen our relationship and explore original concepts to spread that magic to other sports and events. Ultimately, this will help grow our audience by providing fans with even more creative options that they crave.”