November 5, 2024 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

ESPN to Televise its First NFL Playoff Game

ESPN
Paul Brown Stadium (left) in Cincinnati was home to an NFL wild card playoff game earlier this year. ESPN announced April 22 it would televise a wild card game for the first time in the network’s history. (Thinkstock)

The National Football League (NFL), currently the nation’s most popular sport, has been absent from Los Angeles since 1995 and has never had one of its playoff games televised on ESPN since the network launched in 1979.

At least one of those things will change next year. Unfortunately, seats at professional football-ready stadiums in the Los Angeles region will continue to remain empty.

In a move to get in on the ratings bonanza of NFL playoff games, ESPN announced April 22 it would televise a live wild-card game in January 2015. It will be the first time in ESPN’s history a postseason game is televised on the network.

The “wild card” games take place during the first weekend of NFL’s postseason play; there are four wild card playoff games televised each postseason.

Also to be televised on ESPN will be the Pro Bowl, the NFL’s annual all-star game featuring the league’s top players in an exhibition game.

ESPN already televises Monday Night Football games during the regular season.

Televising the playoff game is part of a new rights agreement between ESPN and the NFL.

The network also announced the broadcast team covering Monday Night Football will also cover both the wild card game and the Pro Bowl. That broadcast team consists of Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and sideline reporter Lisa Salters.

University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., will host the 2015 Pro Bowl. The stadium is also the site of Super Bowl XLIX, which will be played Feb. 1, 2015 and aired on NBC.

NFL playoff games have been televised on the major networks – ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC – over the course of the four-rounds of postseason play. ESPN and ABC are both part of the Disney Media Network. NBC, which reportedly televised two wild card playoff games last season, also announced on April 22 it would air a wild card playoff game on Jan. 3 as well as a divisional round postseason matchup.

The NFL stated an average of 34.7 million viewers watched the four wild card games last season, according to NBC Sports. News reports indicated CBS had its highest ratings for its televising of a Wild Card Sunday matchup in 19 years.

In its 95th iteration, the next NFL season will begin Sept. 4 and games will continue weekly through Dec. 28. The wild card games will be played Jan. 3 and 4, 2015, thought the games each respective network would air will not be determined until later in the season.

The Pro Bowl will be played Jan. 25.

Related Posts

Early Morning Call From Community Leads to Burglary Arrest in Culver City

November 4, 2024

November 4, 2024

Police Respond To Suspicious Activity Call, Arrest Suspect With Pickaxe Culver City police arrested a man early Friday morning in...

Culver City Police Department is Prepared to Ensure Community Safety During Election Week

November 4, 2024

November 4, 2024

Enhanced Patrols, Activated Emergency Center Ready, Culver City Voting Center is Open The Culver City Police Department has announced an...

Legendary Music Icon Quincy Jones Dies at 91 in Bel Air

November 4, 2024

November 4, 2024

Celebrated Musician, Producer Leaves an Indelible Legacy By Dolores Quintana Legendary musician, music producer, film and television producer, composer of...

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Lays Off Longtime Archive and Library Staff

November 4, 2024

November 4, 2024

Downsizing and Restructuring Continue, Affecting Employees with Decades of Service By Dolores Quintana Last week, the Academy of Motion Picture...

LA County Opens 526 New Vote Centers for Early Voting, Announces Conditional Voting for Unregistered Residents

November 3, 2024

November 3, 2024

Metro LA Offers Free Rides on Election Day to Help Residents Get to the Polls Los Angeles County opened an...

New Aviation/Century Station Opens, Linking Metro’s C and K Lines

November 3, 2024

November 3, 2024

Metro’s Newest Station Paves the Way for Future LAX Transit Center The new Aviation/Century Station officially opened this week, marking...

H5N1 Detected in LA County Wastewater, Health Officials Urge Precautions for Residents

November 3, 2024

November 3, 2024

Los Angeles County Investigates Low-Level H5 Avian Flu Detected in Wastewater The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is...

Two Events in Culver City This Weekend: Bike Registration and Dance Performance

November 1, 2024

November 1, 2024

Put the Brakes on Bicycle Theft and Enjoy an Evening of Dance and Interactive Art The Culver City Police Department...

All You Need to Know to Attend the Dodgers Victory Parade Tomorrow in DTLA

November 1, 2024

November 1, 2024

World Champions and LA’s Team to Greet Angelenos After Win of NY Yankees The Los Angeles Dodgers announced that their...

Beverly Hills City Government Agrees to a Stipulated Judgment After Blocking Abortion Clinic Opening

November 1, 2024

November 1, 2024

City to Implement Training, Oversight on Reproductive Rights Following Legal Settlement  California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a legal agreement...

Dia De Los Muertos 2024: Here’s Where To Celebrate The Holiday Tradition This Weekend

October 31, 2024

October 31, 2024

Los Angeles Has a Variety of Ways to Explore Latino Culture and Honor Ancestors Starting just after Halloween, Dia de...

(Video) Downtown L.A. Reacts to World Series Victory

October 31, 2024

October 31, 2024

The Dodgers Are World Series Champs For The Eighth Time https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTFtyDDKn/

Halloween Pre-Game Party Brings Chills and Spooky Thrills to The Rose Venice

October 31, 2024

October 31, 2024

Enjoy Halloween With Festive Cocktails, Appetizers, and a Costume Contest The Rose Venice in Venice is set to host a...

(Video) Something About Her’s First Tea Time Was a Big Hit

October 31, 2024

October 31, 2024

The Next Date is November Third. Beautiful vibes, deciduous food and drink. Don’t miss it. @Something About Her @culvercitywlanews Something...

Something About Her Sandwich Shop Hosts Second Exclusive Tea Time on November 3

October 30, 2024

October 30, 2024

By Dolores Quintana West Hollywood’s Delightful Sandwich Spot by Vanderpump Rules Stars Has Tea Service Something About Her, the adorable...