Manningcast
On the 19th of July 2021, ESPN announced that Peyton and Eli Manning would host an alternate presentation of Monday Night Football. The deal signed by ESPN and Omaha Productions was for three seasons and called for ten games each year. For the 2021 season, it was announced that the presentation would air for the first three weeks of the season. These initial telecasts included matchups between the Ravens and Raiders, the Lions and Packers, and the Eagles and Cowboys. The final seven telecasts were announced at a later date. The first Manningcast aired on the 13th of September 2021, as an alternate presentation of the game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Baltimore Ravens. This broadcast aired on ESPN2 and ESPN+ in the United States. It also appeared on TSN+ in Canada. The format relied on brothers Peyton and Eli Manning to provide commentary alongside traditional play-by-play announcers.
In February 2022, ESPN extended its contract through the 2024 NFL season. Omaha Productions also became slated to collaborate with ESPN on extending the format to other sports properties. These new ventures included college football, golf, and UFC events. On the 10th of April 2024, ESPN further extended its contract with Omaha Productions until 2034. The 2024 season also saw former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick appear on the broadcast during the first half of games. Belichick left the Manningcast following the 2024 season after he was hired by the University of North Carolina. While North Carolina's athletic director Bubba Cunningham stated that he would continue to make regular appearances, Peyton Manning confirmed that Belichick would no longer contribute to the alternate broadcasts. This shift marked a significant change in the show's guest roster for future seasons.
During the 2021 season, a curse akin to the Madden curse began to develop upon players who made guest appearances. An observed pattern showed players' teams losing the next week despite being favored to win. Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors remained the sole exception to this trend. The curse broke in 2022 as all players that appeared on the Manningcast that season won their next game. However, in 2023, the curse returned as all NFL players who appeared as guests lost their next game. Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson also saw his team lose after appearing. Another basketball player, Caitlin Clark, was not affected by the curse. Her Iowa team was in the beginning of a 15-game winning streak at the time. Fourteen of those wins came after her appearance. This statistical anomaly created a recurring talking point among viewers and analysts alike.
Building upon the success of the Mannings' broadcasts, ESPN produced similar broadcasts for some of its other sports properties. Some of these did not involve the Mannings but were still called Manningcasts. During the 2022 NCAA Women's Final Four, ESPN2 aired an alternate broadcast known as The Bird & Taurasi Show. Basketball players Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi featured in this program. ESPN has since employed the format for subsequent NCAA women's tournaments and for an NBA Christmas game in 2023. The KayRod Cast aired for select Sunday Night Baseball games during the 2022 and 2023 seasons with Michael Kay and Alex Rodriguez. These alternate broadcasts ended when Rodriguez signed an exclusive contract with Fox Sports. Joe Buck and Michael Collins hosted a similar broadcast during each round of the 2022 PGA Championship. Matt Barrie replaced Buck for the 2023 PGA Championship edition. In August 2022, it was announced that the Mannings would produce alternate broadcasts for six college football games on ESPN2 with Pat McAfee as host. Stephen A. Smith also hosted an alternate presentation of select NBA games starting with the 2022, 23 season.
The format and the brothers' chemistry received critical acclaim from critics and audiences alike. The Peyton & Eli broadcasts were parodied in the cold opening of Saturday Night Lives 48th season premiere on the 1st of October 2022. Host Miles Teller and Andrew Dismukes portrayed the Mannings commentating over a sketch themed around the FBI search of Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home. The duo made self-deprecating remarks acknowledging major changes to the SNL cast which took effect that season. This parody highlighted how deeply the show had embedded itself into broader pop culture discourse. Viewers began discussing the Manningcast not just as sports coverage but as a cultural event. The blend of high-level analysis and casual conversation created a unique viewing experience that resonated beyond traditional football fans.
The series received a Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Live Sports Series at the 43rd Sports Emmy Awards on the 24th of May 2022. Peyton Manning won Outstanding Sports Personality/Sports Event Analyst in both 2022 and 2023. Eli Manning won Outstanding Sports Personality/Emerging On-Air Talent in those same years. The technical team also received recognition with an award for Outstanding Technical Team Studio in 2022. In 2024, the series won Outstanding Live Sports Series again alongside The George Wensel Technical Achievement Award. These accolades validated the production quality and the chemistry between the hosts. The awards demonstrated industry acceptance of this alternative broadcast model. They signaled that ESPN had successfully created a new standard for live sports commentary.
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Common questions
When did the Manningcast first air and which teams played?
The first Manningcast aired on the 13th of September 2021 as an alternate presentation of the game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Baltimore Ravens. This broadcast appeared on ESPN2 and ESPN+ in the United States and TSN+ in Canada.
How long is the current contract for the Manningcast with Omaha Productions?
ESPN extended its contract with Omaha Productions until 2034 on the 10th of April 2024. The initial deal signed by ESPN and Omaha Productions was for three seasons calling for ten games each year.
Who hosted the Bird & Taurasi Show during the 2022 NCAA Women's Final Four?
Basketball players Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi featured in The Bird & Taurasi Show that aired on ESPN2 during the 2022 NCAA Women's Final Four. This program utilized the same format as the Manningcast without involving Peyton or Eli Manning.
Did Bill Belichick continue hosting the Manningcast after the 2024 season?
Bill Belichick left the Manningcast following the 2024 season after he was hired by the University of North Carolina. Peyton Manning confirmed that Belichick would no longer contribute to the alternate broadcasts despite statements from athletic director Bubba Cunningham about his future appearances.
Which basketball player broke the curse pattern during the 2023 season?
Caitlin Clark was not affected by the curse during the 2023 season when her Iowa team won 15 consecutive games including 14 wins after her appearance. Other guests like Klay Thompson saw their teams lose after appearing on the show while Draymond Green remained an exception to the trend in earlier years.