ESPN is getting rid of another attempt of innovation for their Monday Night Football broadcast. Credit them for trying to get better and credit them for recognizing when something isn’t working.
They cut the “BoogerMobile” before the season began and quickly eliminated the yellow “down and distance” graphic during Week 1. Next to go for Monday Night Football is their Genesis Halftime Show. Halftime Shows are synonymous with the NFL, most notably at the Super Bowl. While the Genesis Halftime Show garnered popular talent, the performance wasn’t live, creating a strange dynamic.
Broadcasting a musical “Halftime Show” that was recorded months in advance felt similar to simply showing a music video. Monday night’s contest between the Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers was the first broadcast where ESPN went back to offering more traditional analysis during halftime. ESPN launched the Genesis Halftime Show during Week 1 of the 2018 season, in a Monday Night Football game between the Jets and Lions.
According to AdAge, network higher-ups said they “decided that using halftime for more news and analysis was ultimately the best way to serve our NFL fans.” Although the musical segment has been eliminated, Genesis remains the broadcast’s halftime sponsor.
Brandon Contes is a freelance writer for BSM. He can be found on Twitter @BrandonContes. To reach him by email click here.