NFL scrapped twin MNF video games after concluding “fans felt like they were conflicted to choose”

For the previous few seasons, the NFL has had a number of cases of broadcasting two Monday Night Football video games on ABC and ESPN concurrently a part of the published deal that elevated Disney’s whole variety of video games per season.

But with the league’s deal to promote Disney management of NFL Network, these dual-MNF Mondays at the moment are a factor of the previous.

EVP and COO of NFL Media, Hans Schroeder, admitted throughout a Tuesday press convention that the league and Disney miscalculated fan curiosity in simultaneous Monday night time video games.

“This speaks to another theme of how we’re always talking to our partners,” Schroeder mentioned. “One of the things we realized with Disney collectively, when we did the deal five years ago, we thought adding two games on Monday night would be a great thing for fans. It was more free football that was outside of a Sunday afternoon. And I think we collectively struggled and realized fans felt like they were conflicted to choose between those games.

“And so, as we worked through that and part of that transaction related to the sale of NFL Network, one of the things that surfaced was there’s a better way for us to deploy those four games.”

At this level, Schroeder mentioned the league has 5 whole video games which have but to be assigned and distributed for the 2026 season. There may very well be any variety of methods the NFL may assign these video games, with streamers in addition to conventional broadcast platforms in play. Schroeder talked about the night time earlier than Thanksgiving — “Thanksgiving Eve” — as one possibility.

“And that’s the best part, we can look at the numbers, we can look at the metrics, and our fans will speak to us,” Schroeder mentioned. “So, we’re going to continue to look at those other windows throughout the year on top of maybe those other windows or maybe late-season Saturdays and see how the market comes back to us as well, with what we think the best possible way to deploy those games are. We think it’ll be an exciting way, an exciting addition to the 2026 schedule.”

Schroeder mentioned the league expects to have these video games assigned in time for the schedule launch, which historically occurs in May.