“Thursday Night Football” moves to Fox, which will still air its usual slate of Sunday games.
The 25th year of the National Football League on Fox kicks off on Aug. 23 when “Thursday Night Football” makes its debut on the network, adding primetime contests to the current slate of Sunday games on Fox.
Football fans will recognize the coverage on Fox, as Sunday mainstays Michael Strahan, Terry Bradshaw and Howie Long will host the pregame coverage. Thursday’s pregame show will begin at 8 p.m. ET, but during the regular season it will air at 7:30 p.m. ET and take viewers to kickoff.
To celebrate “TNF” moving to Fox, the network will broadcast portions of the pregame show live from Fox Square on Avenue of Americas in New York City where fans will have a chance to serve as the backdrop to Strahan, Bradshaw and Long’s expert analysis.
‘I am looking forward to expanding FOX’s presence with the NFL and bringing the viewers a great evening of Thursday Night Football’
The Washington Post recently called Strahan “the hardest working man in show business” when noting that the Thursday night pregame show will be in New York to accommodate his co-hosting duties for ABC’s “Good Morning America.” Strahan, Bradshaw and Long will travel to Los Angeles, where “NFL Sunday” is housed, on a weekly basis in order to remain on the Sunday show alongside host Curt Menefee and Jimmy Johnson, in addition to their new Thursday gig.
“I am looking forward to expanding FOX’s presence with the NFL and bringing the viewers a great evening of Thursday Night Football,” Strahan said when the show was announced.
Fox has aired NFL games on Sundays for the past 24 seasons. The network will now air 11 regular-season “Thursday Night Football” games as part of an innovative deal that will advance digital distribution over a variety of platforms including mobile phones.
Sunday mainstays Michael Strahan, Terry Bradshaw and Howie Long will host the pregame coverage on Fox.
(Getty)
“As one of the leaders in sports television and a recognized innovator of NFL game broadcasts for many years, we’re excited to be extending our partnership with Fox Sports, one of our most trusted and valued partners, to include ‘Thursday Night Football,’” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said when the deal was announced.
The inaugural edition of “TNF” on Fox features the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles visiting the Cleveland Browns. After tonight’s preseason debut, Thursday night primetime games will resume on Fox starting in Week 4 when the Minnesota Vikings visit the Los Angeles Rams. All “TNF” games air on the NFL Network.
“TNF” is among the most-watched programs in all of television as live sporting events are a ratings powerhouse in the modern era of cord cutting and DVR services.
“TNF” will also simulcast on NFL Network and distributed in Spanish on Fox Deportes.
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