You're sitting on the couch, the work week just kicked off, and you've got that specific craving for the glow of a stadium broadcast. It's a ritual. But the question of is there a football game on monday night isn't as simple as a "yes" or "no" anymore. Honestly, the sports calendar has become a bit of a maze. Between the NFL's flexible scheduling, the chaos of college bowl season, and the occasional spring league pop-up, you can’t just assume the TV will have what you want.
If we're talking about the NFL, the answer is usually yes during the fall. But it's not a year-round guarantee.
The "Monday Night Football" brand is legendary. It’s been an American institution since Howard Cosell was making people angry in the 70s. Nowadays, it’s a massive production primarily handled by ESPN and ABC. However, as we move into 2026, the way these games are distributed has shifted. You’ve got the regular season, the playoffs, and then the long, dry desert of the offseason where Monday nights are filled with sitcom reruns or basketball instead.
When the NFL Owns the Night
During the heart of the NFL season—basically September through early January—there is almost always a game. ESPN typically kicks off their coverage with a massive pre-game show, and the kickoff usually lands around 8:15 PM Eastern Time.
But wait.
The NFL loves to experiment. Lately, we’ve seen "doubleheaders." This is where you might have one game starting at 7:00 PM on ESPN and another at 8:15 PM on ABC. It’s a sensory overload. If you’re trying to track your fantasy football team, these nights are pure stress. You’re flipping back and forth, trying to see if your wide receiver caught that touchdown or if the wind in Cleveland just ruined your kicker’s stats.
Then there’s the "flex scheduling" factor. The league is obsessed with ratings. If a scheduled Monday night matchup looks like it’s going to be a blowout between two teams with losing records, the NFL can sometimes move a better game into that slot. They want eyeballs. They want drama. They don't want you turning off the TV at halftime because the score is 35-0.
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Is There a Football Game on Monday Night During the Offseason?
Once the Super Bowl ends in February, the lights go out. For the NFL, the answer becomes a hard no.
This is where fans get desperate. We call it the "post-football blues." You might find yourself watching replays of games from the 90s just to hear the pads popping. But there are alternatives. Depending on the month, you might run into the UFL (the merged XFL and USFL). While they primarily play on weekends to avoid competing with the big dogs, they’ve been known to experiment with weeknight slots to capture the "degenerate gambler" and "die-hard fan" demographics.
College football is another beast. Generally, college ball owns Saturdays. That’s their turf. But the first Monday of the new year? That’s usually the College Football Playoff National Championship. It’s arguably the biggest Monday night game of the entire year. The atmosphere is different from the NFL—more bands, more student section chaos, and a lot more desperation.
Why the Schedule Sometimes Lies to You
Have you ever checked your TV guide and seen "Monday Night Football" listed, only to click it and find a bunch of guys in suits talking at a desk?
That’s the "pre-game trap."
ESPN loves to stretch the brand. They’ll run Monday Night Countdown for two hours before the actual game starts. If you’re asking is there a football game on monday night because you want to see live action, make sure you're looking for the "Kickoff" time, not the "Coverage Begins" time. There is a huge difference between watching Chris Berman talk about his favorite plays and actually seeing a live kickoff.
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Also, international games are a thing now. Sometimes the NFL plays in London or Germany. Usually, those are Sunday morning games for us in the States, but the league is always looking for "inventory." There’s been talk for years about a permanent Monday night international slot, though the time zone math makes it a nightmare for the players' sleep schedules.
The Logistics of the Monday Night Ritual
Planning a watch party? You need to know the specifics. Monday games are unique because everyone is coming off a full day of work. You don’t have the luxury of an all-day tailgate like you do on Sunday.
- Check the Network: Is it ESPN, ESPN2 (the "ManningCast"), or ABC? Sometimes it’s all three.
- The ManningCast Factor: If you haven't watched Peyton and Eli Manning break down a game, you're missing out. It’s less like a professional broadcast and more like sitting in a living room with two guys who know too much about quarterback footwork. They bring on guests like Arnold Schwarzenegger or Steph Curry. It’s weird. It’s fun. It’s often better than the actual game.
- Streaming Rights: If you don't have cable, you're looking at ESPN+ or NFL+. Make sure your app is updated. There is nothing worse than the "Spinning Wheel of Death" when a team is on the 1-yard line.
What About Late Season Scenarios?
In the final weeks of the season, things get weird. The NFL sometimes moves games to Saturday. They also have "Black Friday" games now. Because of this, the final Monday night of the year is often a massive, high-stakes game with playoff implications.
However, in the very last week of the regular season (Week 18), there is usually no Monday night game. The NFL prefers to play all games on Saturday and Sunday to ensure no team gets an unfair rest advantage heading into the playoffs. It’s a bit of a letdown for the Monday night addicts, but it makes sense for the integrity of the tournament.
Navigating the 2026 Landscape
By 2026, streaming has almost completely taken over. Amazon Prime has Thursday nights, but ESPN/Disney has fought hard to keep Monday night as the "premium" mid-week event. They’ve integrated more betting data directly into the screen. You’ll see live odds for the next drive, player prop updates in real-time, and "probability of victory" meters that fluctuate with every penalty flag.
It’s a lot. Honestly, sometimes it’s too much.
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But at the end of the day, the answer to is there a football game on monday night is usually found with a quick glance at the league's official app or a reputable sports news site like The Athletic or ESPN. Just don’t trust those "scammy" schedule sites that haven't updated their data since 2022.
How to Confirm Tonight's Game
If you are reading this on a Monday and want to know if you should order wings, do this:
Check the official NFL schedule page. Look for the "MNF" logo. If it's between February and August, you're likely out of luck unless the UFL is in mid-season form or there's a specific college special event.
If there is a game, verify the channel. ABC is free over-the-air with an antenna, but ESPN requires a subscription. If you’re a cord-cutter, check if the game is being simulcast. They’ve been doing that more often lately to boost those Nielsen ratings.
Actionable Steps for the Football Fan
- Download the League App: Set notifications for "Game Start." It’s the only way to avoid missing the first quarter because you were stuck in traffic or doing dishes.
- Sync Your Calendar: Most team websites offer a "Sync to Calendar" feature. This puts the game times—including the Monday night outliers—directly onto your phone.
- Check the Weather: If it’s a Monday night game in Buffalo or Chicago in December, expect a "trench war." This affects the betting lines and, more importantly, how much fun the game is to watch. High-scoring shootouts are great; 6-3 slogs in the mud are a tough sell for a Monday.
- Audit Your Streaming Services: Before the season starts, make sure you actually have access to ESPN. A lot of people realize five minutes before kickoff that their "Plus" subscription doesn't include the live linear broadcast. Don't be that person.
The Monday night tradition isn't going anywhere. It’s too profitable. It’s the one time a week where the NFL doesn't have to share the spotlight with 10 other games happening at the same time. Whether it's a blowout or a triple-overtime thriller, that Monday night slot remains the king of prime-time sports. Just make sure you've got your remote charged and your snacks ready before that 8:15 PM buzzer hits.
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