Why are there two NFL games tonight History of ESPNs Monday Night Football doubleheader and a new 20

ESPN will continue its two-week «Monday Night Football» experiment in 2022, which thus far has created spectacular results.For only the second time since the network obtained «MNF» rights in 2006, ESPN did not broadcast a doubleheader in Week 1, waiting instead to break it out for Week 2 this year. It was a multi-faceted decision, one that included the debut of a former Fox broadcast team and a ma sive Week 1 game that didn't need to share the stage with another broadcast.And so, will take place in Week 2 as Derrick Henry and the Titans take on Josh Allen and the Bills in Buffalo and Jalen Hurts attempts to lead the Eagles to victory over Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson and the Vikings in Philadelphia.With that, The Sporting News News breaks down the reasoning to delay the doubleheader to Week 2, as well as the history of ESPN Cody Whitehair Jersey 's «MNF» broadcast:LIVE:LIVE: ESPN has created a tradition of Week 1 Monday night doubleheaders, dating back to the network's acquisition of «Monday Night Football» broadcasts in 2006. However, the network opted to delay its choice of doubleheader to Week 2 in 2022. Why?Part of the reason, as, is that ESPN wanted to highlight its new $165 million booth in Week 1, which included the first «MNF» broadcast of former Fox partners, generally considered among the best broadcast teams in American football.Moreover, the Week 1 «MNF» matchup featured the return Richard Dent Jersey of Broncos quarterback Ru sell Wilson to the Seahawks' Lumen Field. That matchup was plenty big enough on its own, airing on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes. Indeed, reported that the Week 1 debut of «MNF» was the highest-rated since 2000, with a Nielsen rating of 11.1 and 19.84 million viewers.Now ESPN can have two ma sive weeks to start the season as opposed to just one. And it only stands to get bigger from here.ESPN and the NFL in March 2021 that will begin in 2023 and run through the 2033 season. It will feature an increase of «Monday Night Football» games in a given season, from 17 to 23. ESPN will accomplish that with even more doubleheaders in the future: three, instead of the traditional one.The deal, reportedly worth $2.6 billion, will also include ESPN in the Super Bowl rotation in 2026 and 2030; give the network a Week 18 Saturday night doubleheader; and allow the network to broadcast a Sunday ESPN+ exclusive game (starting in 2022).'MNF' WEEK 2 SCHEDULE: | The two «Monday Night Football» games will overlap in their coverage, with the first game Bills-Titans kicking off at 7:15 p.m. ET on ESPN. Starting at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC, it will begin overlapping with the second kickoff of the night, Eagles-Vikings.Traditionally, ESPN would simply begin one game following the conclusion of the other, with the first game kicking off at around 7 p.m. ET and the latter kicking off at 10 p.m. ET. However, that meant the latter game would often end after midnight on the East Coast.By staggering the kickoffs on different NFL Chicago Bears Jersey networks, viewers can tune into both without having to stay up late to watch the latter game. Moreover, ABC and ESPN will feature periodic double-box views to see both games on the same screen. Both broadcasts will also use double score boxes (depending on which game you are watching, the other game's score box will be smaller and le s noticeable than the current broadcast).ESPN and ABC are likely banking on viewers switching to Eagles-Vikings following the conclusion of Bills-Titans, which should take place sometime during the third quarter of the former game.Below you can see which channel the respective games will be on; regardle s of which game you want to watch, both can be streamed via, which carries the ABC family of networks and offers a free trial:MORE: Titans at BillsTime: 7:15 p.m. ETTV: ESPN | ESPN2Streaming: ESPN App, Vikings at EaglesTime: 8:30 p.m. ETTV: ABC | ESPN+Streaming: ESPN App, ESPN's primary «Monday Night Football» broadcast team of Buck (play-by-play), Aikman (color commentator) and Lisa Salters (sideline reporter) will call the Eagles-Vikings game in Philadelphia.A secondary broadcast team comprised of Steve Levy, Dan Orlovsky, Louis Riddick and Laura Rutledge will call the Bills-Titans game in Buffalo.John Parry will work both games as an officiating expert, as needed Ha Ha Clinton-Dix Jersey .MORE: ESPN has had a scheduled doubleheader every season dating back to 2006 except one.That came in 2021; prior to the season, ESPN and NFL's contract introduced a Saturday doubleheader late in the season, with selection of games that had playoff implications. For that reason, ESPN dropped its traditional Week 1 doubleheader in favor of Week 18, which included Chiefs-Broncos and Eagles-Cowboys.The «MNF» doubleheader resumed in 2022, with Bills-Titans and Eagles-Vikings.DateGame resultsSept. 11, 2006Vikings 19, Redskins 16Chargers 27, Raiders 0Sept. 10, 2007Bengals 27, Ravens 2049ers 20, Cardinals 17Sept. 8, 2008Packers 24, Vikings 19Broncos 41, Raiders 14Sept. 14, 2009Patriots 25, Bills 24Chargers 24, Raiders 20Sept. 13, 2010Ravens 10, Jets 9Chiefs 21, Chargers 14Sept. 12, 2011Patriots 38, Dolphin 24Raiders 23, Broncos 20Sept. 10, 2012Ravens 44, Bengals 13Chargers 22, Raiders 14Sept. 9, 2013Eagles 33, Redskins 27Texans 31, Chargers Roquan Smith Jersey 28Sept. 8, 2014Lions 35, Giants 14Chargers 18, Cardinals 17Sept. 14, 2015Falcons 26, Eagles 2449ers 20, Vikings 3Sept. 12, 2016Steelers 38, Redskins 1649ers 28, Rams 0Sept. 11, 2017Vikings 29, Saints 19Broncos 24, Chargers 21Sept. 10, 2018Jets 48, Lions 17Rams 33, Raiders 13Sept. 9, 2019Saints 30, Texans 28Raiders 24, Broncos 16Sept. 14, 2020Steelers 26, Giants 16Titans 16, Broncos 14Sept. 19, 2022