ABC has announced that it will be simulcasting an additional 10 “Monday Night Football” games that were originally set to only air on ESPN. This decision comes as a result of the ongoing strikes by the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents major studios and streaming platforms like Disney, Netflix, and Amazon.
The strikes have caused significant delays in the upcoming fall television season, affecting the production of various shows. As a result, network television networks are seeking alternative programming to fill the gaps in their schedules.
Originally, ABC had four exclusive regular-season games and five games that would be simulcast with ESPN. However, due to the strikes and the need for additional content, ABC will now air a total of 14 “Monday Night Football” games throughout the season.
This decision comes after last Monday’s game between the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills garnered impressive ratings across ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, and ESPN Deportes. The game reached an average of 22.6 million viewers, making it the most-watched Monday night game since ESPN took over the package in 2006.
With this additional lineup of games, ABC will have a game on air for all 18 weeks of the regular season, including simulcasts of two playoff games.
While the strikes continue to impact the entertainment industry, networks are finding creative solutions to ensure that viewers have quality programming to watch. ABC’s decision to simulcast more “Monday Night Football” games provides football fans with additional opportunities to catch their favorite teams in action.
Definitions:
– Simulcast: the simultaneous broadcasting of the same program or event on multiple platforms or channels.
– Writers Guild of America (WGA): a labor union representing writers in the motion picture, broadcast, cable, and new media industries.
– Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA): a labor union representing actors, announcers, journalists, and other media professionals.
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