Why Peyton and Eli Manning are not doing ‘Monday Night Football’ in Week 4

Peyton and Eli Manning have become a staple on Monday nights after just three weeks thanks to their popular “ManningCast” during “Monday Night Football.”

From Weeks 1-3, Eli and Peyton treated football fans to another telecast option for ESPN’s coverage of “Monday Night Football.” ESPN has offered its traditional telecast, which features announcers Steve Levy, Brian Griese and Louis Riddick. ESPN2 has offered the “ManningCast” alternative featuring Eli and Peyton chit-chatting with each other and famous sports guests from their living room-like setups.

The version featuring the Manning brothers grew in popularity from Weeks 1 to 3, more than doubling its initial ratings. Fans were eagerly awaiting their telecast in Week 4’s game between the Chargers and Raiders but were left disappointed.

There was no Manning Brothers telecast option in Week 4; ESPN2 just offered a duplicate of the ESPN feed.

So what happened?

The Mannings were contracted to provide 10 Monday night telecasts per season from 2021-2023. Unfortunately, the brothers are off from Weeks 4-6 and will return on Oct. 25 for the Seahawks-Saints game. They will also provide a telecast in Week 8.

The Mannings should reconsider the plan of doing just 10 games per season. One of the biggest keys to building an audience is consistency and reliability. Fans should be able to go to ESPN2 every Monday night during NFL season and know they will get the Mannings. You don’t want to lose the momentum that they just built with all of their viral activity.