Before Thursday night or even Sunday night was saved for NFL football each fall, Monday Night Football has been bringing fans primetime football for more than 50 years. Monday Night Football is going to be back in full swing with the 2022 NFL season and with a new duo of commentators in the booth to call the games.
What to Watch has you covered with how to watch all of the primetime NFL offerings for the 2022 season, including Thursday Night Football and Sunday Night Football, but read on here to get all you need to now about how to watch Monday Night Football, including the complete schedule and more.
Here is the Monday Night Football scheduled for the 2022 NFL season, including a double header in week and still to be determined matchups in week 18 (though on a Saturday):
- Week 1: Denver Broncos vs Seattle Seahawks
- Week 2: Tennessee Titans vs Buffalo Bills & Minnesota Vikings vs Philadelphia Eagles
- Week 3: Dallas Cowboys vs New York Giants
- Week 4: Los Angeles Rams vs San Francisco 49ers
- Week 5: Las Vegas Raiders vs Kansas City Chiefs
- Week 6: Denver Broncos vs Los Angeles Chargers
- Week 7: Chicago Bears vs New England Patriots
- Week 8: Cincinnati Bengals vs Cleveland Browns
- Week 9: Baltimore Ravens vs New Orleans Saints
- Week 10: Washington Commanders vs Philadelphia Eagles
- Week 11: San Francisco 49ers vs Arizona Cardinals
- Week 12: Pittsburgh Steelers vs Indianapolis Colts
- Week 13: New Orleans Saints vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Week 14: New England Patriots vs Arizona Cardinals
- Week 15: Los Angeles Rams vs Green Bay Packers
- Week 16: Los Angeles Chargers vs Indianapolis Colts
- Week 17: Buffalo Bills vs Cincinnati Bengals
- Week 18: TBD doubleheader
Monday Night Football games kickoff at 8:15 pm ET/5:15 pm PT. There are a few exceptions for the 2022 NFL season:
- Week 2: Tennessee Titans vs Buffalo Bills begins at 7:15 pm ET/4:15 pm PT
- Week 2: Minnesota Vikings vs Philadelphia Eagles begins at 8:30 pm ET/5:30 pm PT
- Week 11: San Francisco 49ers vs Arizona Cardinals begins at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT
ESPN's pregame show, Monday Night Countdown, begins at 6 pm ET/3 pm PT.
ESPN is the home of Monday Night Football, but there are a handful of games that are going to be simulcast or air on ABC and ESPN2.
Three games on the 2022 Monday Night Football calendar are going to be simulcast on ESPN and ABC:
- Week 1: Denver Broncos vs Seattle Seahawks
- Week 3: Dallas Cowboys vs New York Giants
- Week 17: Buffalo Bills vs Cincinnati Bengals
- Week 18: TBD doubleheader
The week 2 game between the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles is going to air exclusively on ABC.
In addition, the popular alternative Monday Night Football Eli, Peyton Manning broadcast is going to return for Monday Night Football 2022, airing on ESPN2 at the same time as the main Monday Night Football broadcast. The brothers are going to cover 10 games across the season, including the week 1 matchup between the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks, though the other games are not known at this time.
There's a completely new team to call Monday Night Football games this year, as Joe Buck and Troy Aikman take over the Monday Night Football booth (moving over from Fox), while Lisa Salters is on board as the sideline reporter.
Before the Monday Night Football game kicks off, ESPN airs a pregame show, Monday Night Countdown. The last couple of years Monday Night Countdown has been hosted by Suzy Kolber and featured Randy Moss, Steve Young, Booger McFarland, Adam Schefter, Chris Mortensen, Lisa Salters and more.
With Monday Night Football being available to US viewers on primarily on ESPN and occasionally on ABC and ESPN2, here is what you need to know on how to watch the game each week.
ESPN is a cable channel, requiring viewers to be subscribers to a traditional pay-TV or live TV streaming service (FuboTV, Hulu with live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV), though it may not be available on all packages. With a subscription to one of these services, in addition to being able to watch ESPN on your TV or connected device, viewers can watch Monday Night Football through the ESPN app or ESPN.com. ESPN2 is carried on just about all services that offer ESPN.
ABC, meanwhile, is also available through pay-TV and live TV streaming services, but as one of the four major networks also has local stations in each US TV market that can be received via a TV antenna.
Sky Sports is the home for NFL football in the UK, offering live game broadcasts to Sky TV subscribers.
If the standard 1 am UK start time is too late (or early) for you, NFL Game Pass (opens in new tab) is an option. The international version of this subscription service offers live broadcasts of games as well as the opportunity to watch the full broadcast on-demand or a condensed version of the broadcast that only features the plays.
Football fans around the world can tune into the Monday Night Football broadcast every week from wherever they are if they utilize a virtual private network. A VPN is designed to route network traffic through a specific set of servers in a specific country, allowing viewers to watch content on an encrypted feed over a computer.
You’re not alone if you were tricked into thinking today is Monday.
We’re nearing the start of the NFL playoffs, which means the league is doing a bit of schedule moving to make things more interesting. With no college football to play against this weekend, the NFL bumped both the Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys games to Saturday on ESPN and ABC.
A bit confusing, but all fine and good. However, NFL fans were left puzzled as all the branding on both games was for “Monday Night Football” when it is distinctly… not Monday night.
I love this “Doubleheader Saturday” on Monday Night Football 🥴 pic.twitter.com/kCpRuUpBmL
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) January 8, 2022
Yeah, as someone who never knows the day of the week, this is too much for me.
There is a reason for it, however! Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit called the early game while the usual “Monday Night Football” crew of Steve Levy, Brian Griese, and Louis Riddick called the late game, meaning ESPN kept the iconic MNF branding after the shift to Saturday in what is likely a rights and branding agreement.
With no real reason given on the broadcast, however, NFL fans were left mystified and a bit annoyed at this confusing development.
Why is Monday Night Football on Saturday? I feel like I’m time traveling #MNF pic.twitter.com/v0Ef1vf6Cm
— Gregory Anderson (@g_e_anderson) January 8, 2022
I’m so confused how am I watching Monday Night Football on Saturday
— Tate Frazier (@tatefrazier) January 8, 2022
Can we stop calling Saturday football Monday night football? It is bothering me more than it should.
— Tyler Lansdown (@tylerlansdown) January 8, 2022
Calling Saturday night football Monday night football is confusing for people who can never remember what day it is. (Me)
— Brooklyn (@Brookie425) January 9, 2022
Soapbox moment: please for the love of all that is holy, stop calling games played on different days of the week “Monday Night Football” or “Sunday Night Football”, it’s quite possibly the dumbest thing ever
— Keanan Lamb (@keananlamb) January 9, 2022
"Monday Night Football": It's totally Saturday!
— Michael Schwartz (@MikeMSchwartz) January 8, 2022
This is the weirdest game ever lol. They’re calling it Monday Night Football…. but it’s on a Saturday. And they have college football commentators. With one team playing who is already playoff eliminated.
— … (@fryeguy_) January 8, 2022
This whole “@ESPNNFL on Saturday with ‘Monday Night Football’ branding” thing is very confusing for me right now.
— Mandy Jenkins (@mjenkins) January 8, 2022
My wife pointed out the graphic says Monday Night Football.
ESPN is pretty confident that no one actually knows what fucking day it is any more.
— Jake Trowbridge (@JakeTrowbridge) January 8, 2022
“Monday Night Football” ends Week 16 tonight with the last of divisional matchups.
In what will be the penultimate “MNF” of the regular season, the Miami Dolphins travel to New Orleans to face the Saints. Both teams (7-7) are in the thick of the AFC and NFC playoff races, and have shown rising defenses that will make for a good game Monday.
New Orleans is coming off a 9-0 upset win over the Buccaneers in Week 15. With a defense that has shut Tom Brady out for the first time since 2006, and two consecutive wins that broke their five-game losing skid, the Saints are riding high.
But while winning Tampa Bay was a surprise, tonight’s matchup against the blazing Miami Dolphins is expected to tire New Orleans. The Dolphins’ stifling defense has allowed Miami to go from 1-7 to 7-7, allowing opponents no more than 20 points. The Saints will probably want to rely on their defense as their starting quarterback Taysom Hill has yet to find accuracy this season.
Tua Tagovailoa vs New Orleans
On the flip side, the Dolphins’ quarterback has helped Miami to their six past straight wins. Tua Tagovailoa has completed 75.8 percent of his passes with seven touchdowns, 943 yards and three interceptions in his last four starts.
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The Dolphins will rely on Tagovailoa and their defense, lifting the burden off their offensive line that’s still a work of progress.
Who plays on 'Monday Night Football' tonight?
Matchup: Dolphins at Saints
Location: Caesar's Superdome in New Orleans, La.
What time is the NFL game tonight?
Date: Monday, Dec. 27
Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
What channel is 'Monday Night Football' on tonight?
TV channel: ESPN
Live stream: Watch ESPN | ESPN App | fuboTV, which offers a 7-day trial
For viewers with cable or satellite, ESPN will air "Monday Night Football" on ESPN.com and the ESPN App.
Viewers in Canada can watch the game on DAZN free with a 30-day trial.
There will be no "Monday Night Football" during Week 18; all games will be played on Sunday.