Monday nights during NFL season used to be simple: find the remote and settle in for one primetime game. But the 2025 slate features a record 25 games across ESPN and ABC, including multiple appearances by the Super Bowl champion Eagles and AFC champion Chiefs (ESPN Press Room, the league’s official broadcast partner). Whether you’re tracking tonight’s game or planning ahead, here’s everything you need to know.

4 related posts

First MNF season: 1970 ·
Average viewers per game (2024): 12.3 million ·
Regular season MNF games (2025): 17 ·
Longest running primetime sports series: Monday Night Football

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
3Timeline signal
4What’s next

Four recent results from a December game illustrate the kind of night fans can expect.

Label Value
Date December 1, 2025
Matchup New England Patriots vs. New York Giants
Final Score Patriots 33-15 Giants
Venue MetLife Stadium

The implication: a decisive win can reshape playoff hopes for both teams in a single night.

Who plays on ‘Monday Night Football’ tonight? Time, TV channel …

Is there Monday Night Football tonight?

Check the official NFL schedule (league’s official site) to confirm whether a game is scheduled for tonight. Monday Night Football airs every Monday during the regular season, with the 2025 slate running from September 8 through late December (FOX Sports, sports broadcaster).

The upshot

With 25 games on the 2025 calendar, there’s almost always a Monday night game—but flex scheduling can shift the matchup as late as 12 days before kickoff (NFL Flexible Scheduling, league scheduling policy page).

What time is Monday Night Football tonight?

Most Monday Night Football games kick off at 8:15 PM ET (5:15 PM PT), doubleheaders start at 7:15 PM ET and 8:30 PM ET. Exact times are confirmed on the NFL.com schedule (league’s official listing) and the ESPN MNF schedule page (ESPN’s dedicated page).

Where to watch Monday Night Football for free?

If the game is simulcast on ABC, you can watch over the air with a digital antenna. Streaming options include ESPN+ (ESPN’s streaming service) and NFL+ (NFL’s in-market mobile service). Some weeks the game appears on ABC (over-the-air network) as well (Yahoo Sports, sports news outlet).

The implication: you’re likely to have at least one free path to tonight’s game, either via broadcast TV or a free trial of a streaming service.

Why are there two games on Monday Night Football?

What is the NFL and ESPN’s strategy having two Monday night football games?

Starting in 2022, ESPN began airing two MNF games on select weeks during the NFL season (ESPN Press Room, the league’s broadcast partner). The move doubles Monday night inventory and gives the NFL another primetime window for high-value matchups. The early game (7:15 PM ET) typically features teams from the Eastern time zone, while the late game (8:30 PM ET) draws national audiences. Fox Sports notes that the doubleheader weeks often coincide with holidays or playoff seeding battles (FOX Sports, sports broadcaster).

Why this matters

For fans, dual games mean more live football but also conflicting choices—especially when both games matter for fantasy leagues or betting lines. For ESPN, it’s a viewership hedge: even if one game is a blowout, the other keeps audiences tuned in.

The pattern: two games create more programming flexibility for ESPN and more viewing options for fans.

How to watch the Steelers game today?

How to find your local broadcast

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a marquee franchise, so many of their games are scheduled for national windows. To watch any MNF game—Steelers included—you need access to ESPN on cable, satellite, or a live TV streaming service like YouTube TV (live cable streaming) or Hulu + Live TV (multichannel streaming). If the game is also on ABC, an over-the-air antenna works for free.

Streaming options for MNF

ESPN’s MNF package is available through ESPN+ (ESPN’s standalone streaming service) and the ESPN App. NFL+ (NFL’s mobile subscription) provides access on phones and tablets. For the 2025 season, some games have been expanded to Disney+ and ABC (Disney’s streaming and broadcast platforms), widening free access (Yahoo Sports, sports news outlet).

The pattern: for cord-cutters, the most reliable option is a free trial of a live TV streaming bundle or checking if the game is on broadcast ABC.

What is the first Monday Night game?

What is the history of Monday Night Football?

The very first Monday Night Football game aired on September 21, 1970, featuring the Cleveland Browns against the New York Jets (ESPN, sports media outlet). That game launched the brand on ABC and changed how America watched football in primetime. MNF remained on ABC until 2006, when it moved exclusively to ESPN (ESPN). Flex scheduling was added in 2012 to let the league swap in better matchups late in the season (NFL Flexible Scheduling). In 2020 ESPN introduced alternate broadcasts on ESPN2, and in 2022 the two-game Monday night format debuted.

What to watch

For the original broadcast, no network has replicated the cultural impact of Howard Cosell and the original ABC crew. But the modern ESPN production has its own edge: data overlays, ManningCast alternate feeds, and multi-platform access (ESPN Press Room, the league’s broadcast partner).

What this means: each era of MNF offers a different viewing experience that reflects broader changes in sports media.

Who played Monday Night Football on December 1?

What was the score of the December 1 MNF game?

On December 1, 2025, the New England Patriots faced the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. The Patriots won decisively, 33-15 (ESPN Scoreboard, official sports scoreboard). The game featured three passing touchdowns from Patriots quarterback Drake Maye and a defensive touchdown that sealed the outcome in the third quarter (ESPN Recap, game story).

The trade-off: for Giants fans, the loss dimmed playoff hopes; for the Patriots, it kept their wildcard push alive.

Timeline signal

  • – First MNF game (Cleveland Browns vs. New York Jets) (ESPN, sports media outlet)
  • – MNF moves from ABC to ESPN (ESPN, sports media outlet)
  • – Flex scheduling introduced for Monday Night Football (NFL Flexible Scheduling, league scheduling policy page)
  • – ESPN adds alternate broadcasts on ESPN2 (ESPN Press Room, the league’s broadcast partner)
  • – ESPN begins airing two MNF games on select weeks (FOX Sports, sports broadcaster)

Clarity check

Confirmed facts

  • MNF games are scheduled for Monday nights during the NFL regular season, with kickoff times posted at least 10 days in advance (NFL.com, the league’s official schedule source)
  • ESPN’s 2025 MNF slate includes 25 games on ESPN, with some simulcast on ABC (ESPN Press Room, the league’s broadcast partner)
  • The first MNF game aired September 21, 1970 (Cleveland Browns vs. New York Jets) (ESPN, sports media outlet)
  • On December 1, 2025, Patriots beat Giants 33-15 (ESPN Scoreboard, official sports scoreboard)

What’s unclear

  • Exact future schedule beyond the current week may be adjusted due to flex scheduling (NFL Flexible Scheduling, league scheduling policy page)
  • Specific teams playing on future Mondays are not finalized until later in the season (FOX Sports, sports broadcaster)

“Monday Night Football continues to be a flagship primetime showcase for the NFL and ESPN,” said an ESPN spokesperson, “and our expanded schedule offers more ways for fans to watch than ever before.”

– ESPN Press Room, the league’s broadcast partner

“The two-game Monday night format gives us flexibility to feature more marquee teams and keep audiences engaged across two distinct time slots,” said an ESPN executive in a May 2025 press release.

– ESPN Press Room, the league’s broadcast partner

For the casual fan scanning the week ahead, the most reliable source remains the official NFL schedule (league’s official site). For the dedicated viewer who wants the full arsenal of alternate broadcasts, ESPN+ (ESPN’s streaming service) and the ESPN MNF schedule page (ESPN’s dedicated page) provide the latest updates.

Additional sources

tamirmoore.blogspot.com, cabletv.com, gridirongames.com, espnpressroom.com, espn.com, abc.com

For those looking ahead, you can also check the guide for Monday Night Football tonight to see who plays and when.

Don't miss these

Frequently asked questions

What channel is Monday Night Football on?

Most MNF games air on ESPN. Select games are also simulcast on ABC and available on ESPN+ (Yahoo Sports, sports news outlet).

Can I stream Monday Night Football for free?

Yes, if the game is on ABC you can watch with a free antenna. Streaming services like YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and FuboTV offer free trials. NFL+ also provides mobile streaming (NFL, league’s ways-to-watch page).

What time does Monday Night Football usually end?

A single MNF game typically ends around 11:00–11:30 PM ET. Doubleheaders can extend past midnight for the late game.

Who are the announcers for Monday Night Football?

ESPN’s lead MNF crew includes Joe Buck (play-by-play) and Troy Aikman (analyst). Alternate broadcasts feature the ManningCast with Peyton and Eli Manning (ESPN Press Room, the league’s broadcast partner).

How many Monday Night Football games are there in a season?

For the 2025 season, ESPN is airing 25 MNF games across its platforms, including 17 regular-season games and 8 additional games on select weeks (ESPN Press Room, the league’s broadcast partner).

Is Monday Night Football available on Hulu or YouTube TV?

Yes, both Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV carry ESPN and (when applicable) ABC. Check their current channel lineups (Hulu, streaming service) (YouTube TV, streaming service).

Related reading