April 22, 2025 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

Pepper Spray and Panic: LA Homeowners Targeted in Nighttime Burglaries

April 22, 2025

April 22, 2025

LAPD Hunts Suspects After One Resident Attacked in Beverly Grove Two separate home invasions late Friday night in Beverly Grove...

“We’re Better Than This”: Tour Business Owner Pleads for Protection After Third Burglary

April 21, 2025

April 21, 2025

Thieves hit Again, Stealing E-Bikes and Leaving a Wake of Damage in South La Cienega The frustrated owner of a...

Lawsuits Allege Insurance Giants Conspired to Undercut California Fire Victims

April 21, 2025

April 21, 2025

Two Lawsuits Accuse Top Carriers of Price-Fixing and Violating Antitrust Laws Attorneys representing homeowners impacted by California’s January wildfires have...

Cali Camp Welcomes Los Angeles Campers

April 21, 2025

April 21, 2025

By Susan Payne Roam streams, meadows and oak trees in the heart of rock-lined Topanga Canyon this summer at Cali...

Culver City Closes Streets for Earth Day to Encourage Green School Commutes

April 21, 2025

April 21, 2025

Pedal, Walk, or Roll: Culver City Schools Go Car-Free for Earth Day Culver City is taking its Earth Day celebration...

Mayor Karen Bass’ Budget Plan Proposes 1,647 Layoffs Amid $300M Liability Surge

April 21, 2025

April 21, 2025

Civilian LAPD Staff, Transportation, and Sanitation Departments Among Hardest Hit Mayor Karen Bass’ proposed city budget for the upcoming fiscal...

Santa Monica PD Makes Arrest in Ocean Front Walk Stabbing; Second Suspect Sought

April 21, 2025

April 21, 2025

Late-Night Stabbing in Santa Monica Prompts Manhunt After a shocking incident of violence in Santa Monica, a man has been...

ALPR Alerts Lead Culver City Police to Two Stolen Vehicles in Two Hours

April 21, 2025

April 21, 2025

Rapid-Response Tech Aids in Back-To-Back Arrests on Sepulveda Culver City police officers recovered two stolen vehicles within a two-hour period...

Registration is Open for Harvard-Westlake Summer Programs

April 21, 2025

April 21, 2025

By Susan Payne Summer programs at Harvard-Westlake are open for registration.  Participants can experience renowned programs in academics, visual arts,...

Los Angeles City Attorney Sues Over Illegal Rentals, Wildfire Price Gouging

April 20, 2025

April 20, 2025

City Attorney Seeks Permanent Ban and Millions in Penalties for Operators City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto has filed a civil...

Culver City Moves the Needle on Housing and Growth in Monthly Pipeline Update

April 20, 2025

April 20, 2025

Monthly Development Report Shows Increase in Affordable Housing Culver City officials have released the latest updates to their Residential and...

Multi-Concept Asian Restaurant Coming to Prime Sunset Strip Corner

April 20, 2025

April 20, 2025

Round 1 Delicious Inks Lease for Asian Dining Concept in WeHo West Hollywood will be the location for a high-end...

Hollywood Legend Raquel Welch’s Former Home Changes Hands in Beverly Glen

April 20, 2025

April 20, 2025

The Late Actress’s Longtime Residence Sold for $3.1 Million More than two years after Raquel Welch’s passing, the late actress’s...

Heads-Up, Westside: Downtown Santa Monica Traffic to Increase with Pali High Move

April 20, 2025

April 20, 2025

Santa Monica Braces for School Traffic Surge Following Wildfire Displacement Drivers throughout Westside communities, from Brentwood to Pacific Palisades, should...

Rents Stay Stable, but Economic Shifts Threaten the Balance

April 20, 2025

April 20, 2025

Tariffs and Tight Supply Could End Flat Rent Streak After more than a year of minimal fluctuation, asking rents, or...