The ManningCast has always leaned into a laid-back, comedy-first approach to Monday Night Football. That approach is now facing pointed criticism from a familiar voice in sports media. Former FOX personality Emmanuel Acho aimed the show, calling it a comedy act rather than real football analysis. The comment comes as ESPN grapples with a steep drop in ManningCast viewership.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“Taking maybe the greatest football mind of all time and turning him into a sit-down comedian was definitely a choice,” Emmanuel Acho posted on X.
The ManningCast kicked off its sixth season alongside ESPN’s record-breaking Monday Night Football opener between the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos, and the numbers weren’t pretty.
According to The Athletics’ Andrew Marchand, only 705,000 people tuned into the season premiere on ESPN2. Compare that to the 23.2 million total viewers the game itself pulled in, and you’re looking at roughly 3% of the audience choosing the Manning brothers’ alternate broadcast.
A rough start, especially considering the star power on hand. The first episode brought in John Elway, Kate Hudson, and Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, yet none of that seemed to pull the audience.
The ManningCast is the alternative MNF show that has been shown on ESPN2 since 2021. It was popular when it debuted; two national treasures breaking down plays in real time felt fresh and insightful.
Somewhere along the way, though, the show shifted. What started as sharp football analysis has increasingly become a parade of celebrity guests. It still delivers the occasional viral clip, sure, but a lot of longtime viewers feel like the magic has worn off.
That frustration shows up clearly in the comments.
One fan didn’t hold back.
“Should have fewer guests and celebrities football fans don’t care about 🤷🏻♂️.”
Another pointed out that the brothers themselves aren’t driving the show anymore.
“It’s lost some of its flair. Was great to start but it’s gotten a lil dull and depends on its guests more than the Mannings.”
Another viewer summed up the exhaustion pretty bluntly.
“I have never watched it as I found it annoying. Don’t want all that fluff and bs while I’m trying to watch a game. I just want to see it, and that’s it. The commentators are annoying enough without guests yapping away during the game.”
And one fan simply wants less noise and more football.
“Too many guests. If it was just the Manning brothers explaining what they’re seeing, it would get way more views.”
To be fair, accessibility is part of the story too. Not everyone has ESPN2 or an ESPN streaming subscription, so the audience pool was always going to be smaller than the main broadcast.
Still, the timing couldn’t be worse. ESPN’s sports coverage strategy is shifting fast, and Pat McAfee is now set to host his own broadcast on ESPN2 for games the Mannings won’t be covering. If McAfee’s version starts pulling better numbers, it could raise real questions about where the ManningCast stands going forward.
The good news? This was only game one out of twelve, including Super Bowl LXI (as they are officially locked in for 12 games during the 2026-27 NFL season), so there’s still plenty of time to turn things around.
Next week’s a little personal for Eli, since his former team, the New York Giants, takes on the Los Angeles Rams. As the season goes on, the Mannings will also call some big matchups, like Buffalo Bills versus Rams, the Dallas Cowboys versus the Philadelphia Eagles, and the New England Patriots versus Chiefs, before wrapping up at Super Bowl LXI in February 2027.
Whether the ratings bounce back is anyone’s guess. But if this slide keeps up, it could end up being a make-or-break year for the show.