9/10/22 - Weekend Listening from Intercontinental Exchange

Chances are you’ll watch some or all of an NFL football game tomorrow or Monday as the new season gets underway. The 2021 regular season averaged 17. 1 million viewers per game, with the biggest game topping 40 million.

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) is making a big bet those trends will grow. In 2021, it inked a pact with the league for rights to broadcast 23 games annually for $2.3 billion per year, according to CNBC. The deal includes broadcast rights for the Super Bowl in 2026 and 2030.

To capitalize on the opportunity, the network that launched Monday Night Football in 1970, with Howard Cosell, Don Meredith, and Frank Gifford in the booth, will have a new team calling the game when the Seahawks host the Broncos on Monday at Lumen Field in Seattle. The MNF era of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman is about to begin.

After 20 years broadcasting games together on Fox, Troy didn’t renew his contract, and Joe asked to be let out of his deal to join his partner at ESPN. The duo visited ESPN’s HQ in Bristol, Conn. a few weeks ago and were promptly fitted with throwback yellow blazers recalling the Cosell/Meredith/Gifford days.

Tune in at 8:15 PM EDT on Monday to see if the jackets make it on air.

In the meantime, if you’re in Texas this weekend, grab a bottle of Troy’s signature brew, EIGHT Light Lager, and enjoy our conversation with him Inside the ICE House talking about the upcoming season, the business of football and, yes, beer.

The view from the booth at Lumen Field:

• ESPN’s Troy Aikman Kicks off Monday Night Football with a Cold Can of EIGHT As the iconic Monday Night Football music fades out over the imagery of Lumen Field on September 12, two familiar faces will greet America from the booth first made famous by Howard Cosell and Don Meredith. Joe Buck and Hall of Fame QB Troy Aikman, who’ve called games together for 20 years on another network, have joined ESPN and the Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS). Troy Aikman huddles up Inside the ICE House to preview the NFL Season, talk about his move to ESPN, and extol the many virtues of his signature beer, EIGHT Elite Light Lager.

If you’re on a smart phone, all of our Inside the ICE House podcast episodes are available wherever you get your podcasts, including the Apple Podcast App, Spotify, and Stitcher, and other audio platforms. Feel free to reach out to me with any feedback about our show, or suggest any guests for future episodes.