ESPN Will Turn NFL Wild Card Game Into Megacast Production

ESPN will use a MegaCast across five networks for its NFL Wild Card game this season, scheduled for either Saturday, Jan. 9 or Sunday, Jan. 10. As in past years, ABC and ESPN will simulcast the traditional feed fronted by Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Louis Riddick, Lisa Salters and John Parry. Two of Disney’s cable channels, ESPN2 and Freeform, also will produce their own versions of the game. Plans still are being finalized, but it is likely that Freeform will be tailored for a younger and more female audience, while ESPN2 is expected to mimic the way it has handled one of ESPN’s college football Megacasts, with several NFL types having conversations around the game. ESPN Deportes will carry the Spanish-language feed. ABC and ESPN also plan to simulcast two “Monday Night Football” games this month: Bills-49ers on Dec. 7 and Bills-Patriots on Dec. 28. This Wild Card playoff game marks the first time the net will use a Megacast strategy for an NFL game.