ESPN’s ‘First Take’ To Preview NFC Wild Card Matchup Live From Texas

Courtesy: ESPN

The National Football League kicks off its post season this weekend, and ESPN will be on hand to cover the first weekend of the playoffs.

The network announced Monday in a news release, that its hit show First Take will air live from Arlington, Texas where the Dallas Cowboys will host the Seattle Seahawks in one of the weekend’s four Wildcard matchups.  The program’s on-site broadcast marks the third time in as many months that First Take will broadcast from AT&T Stadium.

ESPN Vice President of Production David Roberts said in the release, that Friday’s broadcast will be a positive presentation.

“The energy from the fans at the previous shows in Dallas has been truly unique,” Roberts said.  “Add in that the Cowboys will be playing in a win-or-go-home Wild Card showdown this weekend, and it should make for some unforgettable moments between [Cowboys critic] Stephen A. Smith and the Dallas faithful.”

Friday’s broadcast is free and open to the public.  Doors open at 7:30 a.m. CT/8:30 a.m. ET.  The broadcast starts at 9 a.m. CT/10 a.m. ET and runs until 11 a.m. CT/noon ET.  Friday’s event will air live on ESPN and stream live via the ESPN app.

Friday’s broadcast is just one part of an extensive weekend of NFL coverage from ESPN.  The network’s Monday Night Football broadcast team will cover Saturday’s Wild Card game between the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans on ESPN.  Kickoff is scheduled for 4:35 p.m. ET.

In the college ranks, ESPN will broadcast the College Football Championship live Jan. 7.Clemson and Alabama will compete for college football’s top prize in the game.  Coverage is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET.

More information on ESPN’s NFL post season coverage is available online now at:

 

Website: http://www.espn.com/nfl

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NFLonESPN

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ESPNNFL

 

More information on ESPN’s college football coverage is available online now along with all of the latest college football headlines at:

 

Website: http://www.espn.com/college-football

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CFBonESPN

Twitter: http://twitter.com/espncfb

 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

ESPN Networks Launch NFL Postseason Coverage Saturday

Courtesy: ESPN

Courtesy: ESPN

The NFL begins its post season this weekend, and ESPN will be along for the ride with coverage of the AFC Wild Card matchup between the Raiders and Texans.

Coverage of Saturday’s game begins at 3 p.m. EST with a special Postseason NFL Countdown broadcast hosted by Suzy Kolber.  The program will air live from NRG Stadium.  Kolber will be joined by analysts Trent Dilfer, Matt Hasselbeck, Randy Moss and Charles Woodson for additional commentary.

Chris Berman will co-host the broadcast live from ESPN’s studios in Bristol, CT. Lisa Salters and Adam Schefter will have team updates from both camps.  Reporter Britt McHenry (Raiders-Texans) and NFL Insider Ed Werder (Lions-Seahawks) will offer additional updates on Saturday’s games, too.

Live coverage of the Raiders-Texans games begins at 4:20 p.m. EST.  The game will be simulcast on television on ABC, ESPN and ESPN Deportes, and online via WatchESPN.  Kickoff for the game is currently scheduled for 4:35 pm ET.

More information on ESPN’s NFL coverage is available online along with all of the latest NFL headlines at:

 

 

 

Website: http://espn.go.com/nfl

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NFLonESPN

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ESPNNFL

 

 

 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

ESPN To Feature AFC Showdown Monday Night

Courtesy: ESPN

Courtesy: ESPN

Brock Osweiller will face his former teammates Monday night on ESPN when the Broncos play host to the Texans on the network’s weekly NFL showcase Monday Night Football.

Monday night’s matchup between the AFC rivals will have equal importance for both teams. The Broncos come in to Monday night’s game in the heels of a tough 21 – 13 loss to San Diego while Houston will be looking to add another notch to its “W” column after last week’s 26 – 23 win over Indianapolis.

A win will be especially important for either team because of the teams’ current standings.  Houston currently leads the AFC South division, and another win for the Texans would pad the team’s lead over the Titans, who currently sit second in the division at 3 – 3.

The Broncos are currently tied with the Oakland Raiders atop the AFC West standings at 4 – 2. So a win for Denver would either give Denver the division lead or keep the teams tied depending on the outcome of Oakland’s matchup against Jacksonville on Sunday.  A loss by one or either team would be just as impacting.

Sean McDonough will have the call for Monday Night’s game live from Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver. He will be joined in the booth by his broadcast partner Jon Gruden for additional commentary.  Reporter Lisa Salters will be on the sidelines with all of the latest in-game news and interviews.

More information on ESPN’s NFL coverage is available online now along with all of the latest NFL headlines at:

 

 

 

Website: http://espn.com/nfl

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NFLonESPN

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ESPNNFL

 

 

 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com//philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Bears, Eagles Face Off In NFC Inter-Divisional Matchup Monday Night On ESPN

NFL on ESPN Logo

The Bears and Eagles face off in week 2 of the NFL’s 2016 – ’17 regular season Monday night on ESPN.

Jay Cutler and the Bears will look to rebound from a Week 1 loss to the Texans Monday night as they take on rookie QB Carson Wentz and the Philadelphia Eagles on ESPN’s Monday Night Football.  The Eagles opened the season last week with a convincing 29 – 10 win over the Cleveland Browns and look to ride that momentum into another win this week when they come into Chicago.

The Bears currently sit last in the NFC North while the Eagles are flying high in the NFC East, vying for the top spot in the division.  The Eagles sit second in the division to the now 2 – 0 New York Giants.

Coverage of Monday night’s game is expected to begin at 8:15pm ET.  Sean McDonough will have the call in Monday night’s game.  He will be joined in the booth by Jon Gruden for additional commentary.  Lisa Salters will also be on hand for all of the latest in-game news and interviews.

Monday Night Countdown will precede Monday’s NFC interdivisional matchup with Suzy Kolber at the helm.  Coverage begins at 6pm ET.  She will be joined at the desk live on site in Chicago by analysts Trent Dilfer, Matt Hasselbeck, Randy Moss, Charles Woodson, and Steve Young.  Chris Berman and Adam Schefter will join Kolber and company live from ESPN’s studios in Bristol, CT.

Michelle Beisner-Buck will present her weekly feature for the Monday Night Countdown live from Chicago as part of the night’s broadcast.

Monday Night Football is simulcast live in Spanish on ESPN Deportes for ESPN’s Spanish-speaking audiences and online via WatchESPN for anyone that won’t be near a television during the game’s broadcast.

More information on Monday’s broadcast of the Bears and Eagles is available online now along with all of the latest NFL headlines at:

 

 

 

Website: http://espn.go.com/nfl

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NFLonESPN

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ESPNNFL

 

 

 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://wwww.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Houston Open Air Festival Lineup Announced

Courtesy:  Ashton-Magnuson Media/Danny Wimmer Presents

Courtesy: Ashton-Magnuson Media/Danny Wimmer Presents

The lineup for the 2016 Houston Open Air Festival has officially been announced.

Organizers with the Houston Open Air Festival have revealed the lineup for the 2016 Houston Open Air Festival.  The lineup will feature 35 bands over two days.  That list includes: Deftones, Slayer,Chevelle, The Cult, Ministry, Alter Bridge, Ghost, Anthrax, Pierce The Veil, Of Mice & Men, Sevendust, Baroness, Hellyeah, Chevy Metal, Buckcherry, Nothing More, The Amity Affliction, Max & Iggor Cavalera: Return To Roots, Avatar, letlive., Jim Breuer and the Loud & Rowdy, Texas Hippie Coalition, Young Guns, Starset, Sick Puppies, Skindred, Neck Deep, Sons Of Texas, KYNG, Twelve Foot Ninja, Gemini Syndrome, The Word Alive, Dinosaur Pile Up, September Mourning, and more.  Avenged Sevenfold and Alice in Chains have been named as the festival’s headliners.

A rolling discounted Early Bird pre-sale for Weekend General Admission tickets begins this Tuesday, May 17th at 12pm CDT/1pm EDT.  A very limited quantity of tickets will be available during this pre-sale.  They can be purchased online at http://www.HoustonOpenAir.com and will only be available while supplies last.  Their prices are noted below.

 

Early Bird #1: $89.50

Early Bird #2: $99.50

 

VIP weekend tickets will also be available at a cost of $234.50.

Public on-sale tickets will go on sale Friday, May 20th at 12pm CDT/1pm EDT.  They will also be available for purchase online at http://www.HoustonOpenAir.com.  Their prices are listed below.

 

 

Weekend GA: $109.50

Single-day GA: $69.50

Single-day VIP: $129.50

VIP Weekend: $234.50

 

 

VIP tickets include: VIP entrance lanes into venue, access to VIP-only area featuring dedicated bar, beverage and food options (for additional purchase), VIP-only viewing area of Main Stage, dedicated restroom facilities, and a VIP-only commemorative laminate.

A portion of all proceeds from ticket sales for the festival will go toward aiding the Greater Houston Storm Relief Fund.  The Greater Houston Storm Relief Fund was established by Houston’s mayor Sylvester Turner in order to accept donations for flood relief in the Houston community.  This includes aiding victims of the flooding that stemmed from recent storms that hit the region.  More information on The Greater Houston Storm Relief Fund is available online at http://www.houstonrecovers.org.  Danny Hayes, CEO of Danny Wimmer Presents, spoke with the media recently.  He discussed the timing of the festival’s announcement in relation to the city’s recovery from said storms as well as the motivation for teaming with Mayor Turner in his recovery efforts.  “Houston Open Air has been in the works for almost a year now,” he said.  It’s awkward to announce a major music festival in a city that has experienced such recent hardship and, in fact, we delayed our announcements out of respect for what Houston has endured. But at the same time, our festivals are about highlighting the strengths (or sometimes the needs) of our host city. There’s no more important way to do that right now than to support Mayor Turner’s efforts to help Houston recover from this spring’s flooding and we will be incorporating this message throughout our launch campaign.”

Danny Wimmer is the founder of Danny Wimmer Presents.  He shared his thoughts on the logistics of the concert’s location, its lineup, and more in his discussion with the press.  “Houston is one of the country’s biggest rock markets and, when combined with the impressive food scene happening here, it’s a natural location for a DWP festival,” he said.  “We’re thrilled to have such a diverse first-year lineup that includes Avenged Sevenfold, Alice In Chains and Chevelle. With the inclusion of an incredible food experience and the Jack Daniel’s Whiskey Row, we are kicking off a powerhouse experience that will live in the market for many years to come!”

The Houston Open Air Festival’s band lineup is just part of what audiences have to look forward to this year.  There will also be a special food and drink experience for fans who attend.  This includes the Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Whiskey Row and a massive Gourmet Man Food Experience  The brands featured in the Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Whiskey Row include: Jack Daniel’s Black Label, Gentleman Jack, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire, Old Forester, and Woodford Reserve.  The complete lineup and menus for the Gourmet Man Food experience will be announced soon.

Houston Open Air is produced by Danny Wimmer Presents, producer of: Louder Than Life, Chicago Open Air, Monster Energy Welcome To Rockville, Monster Energy Fort Rock, Monster Energy Aftershock, Monster Energy Carolina Rebellion, Northern Invasion, Monster Energy Rock Allegiance, Rock on the Range, and more.  It is sponsored by: Monster Energy, Jack Daniel’s, El Jimador, Fxck Cancer’s Dyin2Live, NRG Park, and SoHo Concessions, and more to be announced soon.

NRG Park is the home of the NFL’s Houston Texans and the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.  It is located at One NRG Park in Houston, TX.

More information on the Houston Open Air Festival is available online now at:

 

 

Website: http://www.HoustonOpenAir.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/houstonopenair

Twitter: http://twitter.com/HouOpenAir

 

 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Bengals Go Prime Time For The First Time This Season In Week 10 Closer

Courtesy:  ESPN

Courtesy: ESPN

ESPN will feature an AFC match-up Monday night as the worldwide leader in sports closes out week ten in the NFL.

Next week on ESPN’s Monday Night Football, the Cincinnati Bengals will host the Houston Texans. Houston (3 – 5) has struggled this season despite sitting second in the AFC behind the 4 – 5 Indianapolis Colts. Houston has gone 2 – 3 in its last five games but won its last game against the Titans 20 – 6 in week nine. On the other side of the coin, Cincinnati is one of only three undefeated teams left in the league this season, sitting at 8 – 0. However, Cincinnati’s prime time record has been a point of contention for the team in recent years. That means that Monday’s match against Houston will be a big one for Andy Dalton and company. It will be just the first of now four total night games that the team will play this season, which adds even more importance to the game.

Kickoff for Monday night’s game is set for 8:15pm ET. Mike Tirico and Jon Gruden will be in the booth for the call. Lisa Salters will also be on hand for additional commentary and all of the latest in-game news. Ahead of the game, Chris Berman and Suzy Kolber will co-host the network’s weekly pre-game show Monday Night Countdown. Broadcast begins at 6pm. Kolber will be joined by Trent Dilfer, Ray Lewis, and Steve Young live on site in Cincinnati. Berman will be live at ESPN’s studios. He will be joined by NFL analysts Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, and Keyshawn Johnson.

Those fans that won’t be near a television Monday night can catch the game live online via WatchESPN. ESPN will also simulcast the game on ESPN Deportes for its Spanish-speaking audiences. More information on next week’s edition of MNF is available online now along with all of the latest NFL headlines at:

Website: http://espn.go.com/nfl

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MNF

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

ESPN’s MNF Wins Monday’s Ratings Race

Courtesy:  ESPN

Courtesy: ESPN

Monday Night Football brought in some big numbers for ESPN Monday night. The matchup of the Steelers and Texans helped the worldwide leader in sports essentially run the table. The network won the night among all networks in viewers, households, and all key male and adult demographics. It came in as the top broadcast of the night across cable and broadcast among those key male demos, as well as adults 18 – 34 and 18 – 49.

Monday night’s matchup between the Steelers and Texans averaged an 8.1 household U.S. rating. That equals to 9,483,000 households and 13,275,000 viewers (P2+) according to Nielsen. The broadcast peaked from 9:45 – 10pm ET with a 9.1 rating and 15,124,000 viewers.

The battle between the AFC foes pulled in a 14.3 rating on ESPN and a 13.0 on KIAH-CW for a combined 27.3 rating for that market. Pittsburgh viewers pushed the game to a 10.8 rating on ESPN and a 27.8 on WTAE-ABC for a combined 3805 rating in the Pitttsburgh market. In Baltimore, home of the Steelers’ AFC North divisional foes the Ravens, Monday night’s broadcast pulled in a 12.1. Fellow AFC markets Indianapolis and Jacksonville brought in a 10.6 and 10.5 respectively. In the bigger picture of the nation’s top ten metered markets, Las Vegas brought in the highest ratings with a 15.1. It was followed by Sacramento and San Diego. Both pulled in a 12.2 rating. It brought in an 11.0 with San Antonio and Richmond bringing in a 10.8 and 10.7 respectively.

Monday Night Football is averaging an 8.3 household U.S. rating through the first seven weeks of the season for ESPN. That is the equivalent of 9,618,000 households and 13,355,000 viewers.

The numbers or ESPN’s digital broadcast of Monday night’s matchup between the Steelers and Texans was impressive in its own right. Monday’s game reached 313,000 unique visitors on WatchESPN. That is an increase of 87 percent compared to week 7 from last season. It logged 21.5 million minutes viewed. That is an increase of 76 percent from the same time last year. It had an average minute audience of 106,000. That, too is an increase of 76 percent. These combined numbers drove ESPN as the most social network for the seventh straight Monday. Additionally they pushed Monday Night Football to the position of the most social program for the day.

Spanish-speaking audiences helped push Monday night’s game to the top, too. Monday night’s game between the Steelers and Texans averaged a 0.4 average Hispanic household U.S. rating. That is the equivalent of 66,000 Hispanic Household impressions. This is an increase of fourteen percent over the same time last year. It brought in 86,000 Hispanic P2+ impressions. So far this season, ESPN Deportes is averaging a 0.4 Hispanic Household rating. That is a one hundred percent gain, with 59,000 Hispanic Household Impressions and 87,000 Hispanic P2+ impressions. That are increases of 73 percent and 85 percent respectively.

Next week on ESPN’s Monday Night Football, Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys host the Washington Redskins. Kickoff for that game is scheduled for 8:30 pm ET. It will mark the sixteenth time that the NFC East rivals will face off on Monday night. That is second only to the Raiders and Broncos, who have faced one another seventeen times in the forty-five year history of ESPN’s Monday Night Football.

More information on ESPN’s Monday Night Football, its 2014 broadcast schedule and more is available online at:

Website: http://espn.go.com/nfl/mnf

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MNF

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.