Adam Schefter has added some major hats to his gig as ESPN’s leading NFL scoop-getter. He’s dabbled in NBA reporting and sideline work, and now he may join Peyton and Eli Manning in the booth for their special Monday Night Football “MegaCast.”
Peyton Manning has been arguably the biggest target of the NFL’s broadcast partners since his retirement. He’s worked with ESPN on ESPN+ programming, and now he will lend his talents to the booth, albeit on a more limited basis.
Last week, it was announced that he and his brother Eli will call 10 MNF games per year on ESPN2 from a remote location, with Manning’s Omaha Productions helping produce the games. It’s a big splash for ESPN, which has struggled with its broadcast for years. Steve Levy, Brian Griese, and Louis Riddick will once again have the traditional call on the main network.
According to Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, Schefter has “surged” towards the top of the list to join the Manning brothers. As of now, “the network is still exploring multiple candidates and different options and no decisions have been made,” he reports.
The host job in between Peyton and Eli Manning on ‘Monday Night Football MegaCast is quickly becoming one of the most-after gigs in sports media.
We’re hearing one natural candidate already: ESPN’s Senior NFL Insider @AdamSchefter.
Full story @FOS: https://t.co/J1omVjHdRY
— Michael McCarthy (@MMcCarthyREV) July 27, 2021
Apparently Schefter is far from the only one interested in the gig. Per McCarthy, numerous people in the football world want the chance to work with the Manning brothers this fall.
Schefter already works the ‘”Monday Night Countdown” pregame show. If he wants the job, he will have plenty of competition. News of the Manning-Disney deal has sparked a stampede of play-by-play announcers, analysts, anchors, and insiders who want to land the coveted host job between the brothers.
“Everyone wants in. Every agent in town is calling ESPN,” said another source.
An interesting wrinkle: Adam Schefter’s contract could be coming up. ESPN certainly wants to keep the top newsbreaker for the biggest sports league in the country. Giving him the MNF MegaCast job could be further incentive for him to stay put.
At the time, ESPN enticed Schefter to stay by offering him an expanded presence, including sideline reporting roles on NFL and NBA and a new podcast. Working with the Mannings would be the ultimate reward for one of ESPN’s biggest talents.
Should he ever become a free agent, Schefter would be one of the most sought-after sports media talents in years. He boasts 8.4 million followers on Twitter, 1.3 million on Instagram, and 860,000 on Facebook.
ESPN has plenty riding on this broadcast, especially if the bidding wars for Peyton Manning’s services as a full time color commentator pop back up. There’s also a good chance these 10 games pull in impressive ratings. The Manning brothers are very popular, and Peyton is considered one of the most cerebral players in NFL history.
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