_pat McAfee’s debut as an ESPN “Monday Night Football” alternative broadcaster during the Commanders-49ers Week 6 matchup attracted fewer viewers than competing alternative broadcasts, according to industry reports.
The “Field Pass with The Pat McAfee Show” broadcast on ESPN2, featuring NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky, drew 351,000 viewers on Monday, according to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic.
NFL Network’s “Next Gen Stats” broadcast outperformed McAfee’s showing with 469,000 viewers, per Austin Karp of Sports Business Journal.
The popular “ManningCast” with Peyton and Eli Manning — ESPN’s inaugural “MNF” alternative broadcast launched in 2021 — was not broadcast during Week 6. ESPN has indicated that McAfee’s alternative cast will air whenever the ManningCast is not scheduled throughout the current season.
The renowned quarterback duo attracted over 700,000 viewers in Week 1, while the ManningCast previously averaged more than one million viewers during its debut season.
The Commanders-49ers “MNF” main broadcast delivered 17.9 million viewers across multiple platforms including ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, NFL Network, ESPN Deportes and NFL+, according to data shared in ESPN’s press release. However, the network did not release specific viewership figures for its alternative broadcasts.
McAfee is scheduled to host five additional “MNF” regular-season alternative broadcasts this year, beginning with the Week 9 matchup between the Bills and Vikings. NFL Network will also air its own “Next Gen Stats” alternative broadcast during the same week.
McAfee’s “Field Pass” alternative broadcast will compete directly against NFL Network’s “Next Gen Stats” alternative cast during Super Bowl 2027.
The Manning brothers are scheduled to provide analysis for 12 games this season, including Super Bowl 2027.
The Athletic previously reported that McAfee would likely host “MNF” alternative broadcasts when the Manning brothers are unavailable.
ESPN announced McAfee as a panelist on “Monday Night Countdown” in August.
McAfee’s alternative broadcasts and “MNF” role were key components of his contract negotiations with ESPN, with the deal reportedly valued between $60 million and $65 million annually, according to The Athletic.
McAfee’s alternative broadcast format previously appeared on various college football telecasts before its “MNF” debut.
McAfee’s most successful alternative broadcast to date was the Ohio State-Oregon game on New Year’s Day in 2025, which attracted 2.4 million viewers, according to The Athletic.
ESPN also announced plans for a Star Wars-themed animated alternative broadcast for Super Bowl 2027, scheduled to air on February 14.
McAfee joined ESPN’s daytime lineup in 2023 with his daily talk show, following his addition to the “College GameDay” team in 2022. He signed a five-year, $85 million contract with the network in 2023.
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