ESPN will "simulcast 'Monday Night Football' in Spanish on ESPN2 for the first nine weeks of the NFL season," according to John Ourand in this week's SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. The net will "use the ESPN Deportes feed for its first 10 games, starting with its opening doubleheader Sept. 11 and running through Nov. 6." ESPN2 has "carried Spanish-language simulcasts before" of other sports, but this "marks the first time ESPN2 has decided to simulcast a series of games in Spanish." The net last season "ran a hodgepodge of programming" opposite “MNF,” including poker and “30 for 30” repeats. The move to ESPN2 will give "MNF" more reach, as ESPN2 is "in 88 million homes." ESPN Deportes is not Nielsen rated and is "available in about 5.9 million Hispanic households." ESPN Deportes "still will carry the game, which will feature Álvaro Martín on play-by-play, Raúl Allegre as an analyst and John Sutcliffe as sideline reporter" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 9/4 issue).
HERE COMES THE BOOM: In Minneapolis, Patrick Reusse reports the season-opening Saints-Vikings "MNF" broadcast "will be the kickoff of 'Boomer’s Vault,' a three-minute piece on the pregame 'Countdown' show and the first installment" in Chris Berman’s season-long ode to “MNF.” Berman said, "I’m not going to have a physical presence on ‘Countdown’ now, and this was an idea we all came up with at ESPN. ‘Why don’t we do something to remind us of amazing events that have taken place surrounding 'Monday Night Football'?' They opened up the vault, close to a half-century of games, and told me to pick the story.” Berman’s feature will "involve one of the teams in the game, but not always." He said, "There are no rules; what we’re going to do is evoke memories" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 9/7).
