NFL Rumors: Amazon looking to lure 'ManningCast' away from ESPN

Amazon wants to be in business with the ManningCast. The multinational tech company, whose portfolio includes e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming and artificial intelligence, wants to get into the world of sports. Amazon's next target seems to be the popular ManningCast, which is an alternative broadcast to ESPN’s Monday Night Football hosted by Peyton Manning and Eli Manning.

Amazon hoping to deliver the ManningCast to its own streaming service

Currently, Peyton Manning and Eli Manning’s show has a three-year deal with ESPN, which includes 10 alternate MNF telecasts from the 2021 NFL season to the 2023 season. While ESPN has exclusive negotiating rights with the Mannings to extend their show before another party can make them an offer, the interest from Amazon is a testament to the success of the brothers’ live stream show. Peyton Manning’s company, Omaha Productions, produces the ManningCast.

Starting in 2022, Amazon will take over exclusive national coverage of Thursday Night Football. The mega company’s deep pockets could potentially mean that money is no object when it comes to landing Peyton Manning and Eli Manning to duplicate their live stream show on TNF instead of MNF with Disney’s ESPN. Presumably, Amazon would also allow the Manning brothers to host the show from the comforts of their own home. Previously, when ESPN first approached Peyton Manning to be a color commentator for their NFL broadcast, he resisted the offer due to travel requirements. Now, with the pandemic-induced norm of work from home jobs around the world, the Manning brothers’ “work-from-home” telecast reflects the current global trend.

The success of the show largely stems from the jovial, friendly banter between the Manning brothers and their connections in the sports world as well as the entertainment industry. Their eclectic guest list has included former and current NFL players, NBA players, professional golfers, comedians/actors, and a former secretary of state. With two more episodes left of the ManningCast, ESPN has struck gold and potentially will want to secure the Mannings for the long term.

So far in its first season, the ManningCast has averaged 1.6 million viewers on ESPN2 in its first eight episodes (out of 10 total). Additionally, the live-stream show already has the seventh most-watched alternate telecasts in ESPN history. The highest viewership for the ManningCast came on 1 November 2021 during Week 8 of the MNF game when the Kansas City Chiefs played the New York Giants. The telecast generated 1.96 million viewers for ESPN.

The Worldwide Leader in Sports, ESPN, will have a lot on its hands to keep their prized telecast away from Amazon.

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