Look, we’ve all been there. It’s 8:10 p.m. on a Monday. You’ve got the wings ready, the couch is calling your name, and you grab the remote only to realize you have no idea where the game is. One week it’s on ESPN. The next, it’s on ABC. Sometimes it’s on both. And then there’s that one random week where you apparently need a specific streaming app just to see the kickoff.
Honestly, finding the monday night football tv channel has become a bit of a strategic exercise. Gone are the days when you just turned to one station and stayed there for four months.
The 2025-2026 season has been particularly chaotic because the "Disney era" of the NFL is in full swing. Since Disney owns both ESPN and ABC, they’ve been playing a giant game of chess with the broadcast rights. If you feel like you’re constantly hunting for the right channel, it’s because the NFL wants you looking in as many places as possible.
The Core Rotation: ESPN and ABC
Basically, your "home base" for Monday nights is still ESPN. That’s been the case since 2006. But the big shift lately is how often the game shows up on ABC.
During the 2025 regular season, Disney pushed a massive chunk of the schedule onto ABC to grab those "over-the-air" viewers who don't have cable. If you have a digital antenna, you're in luck for more than half the season. For example, high-profile matchups like the Week 3 Lions-Ravens clash or the Week 5 Chiefs-Jaguars game were simulcast on both channels.
But here is where it gets tricky.
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Some weeks are "exclusive" to ESPN. If you're trying to watch the San Francisco 49ers play the Colts in Week 16, and you’re looking at your local ABC station, you’re going to see local news or a game show. You must have a cable login or a streaming service that carries the ESPN cable network for those specific nights.
The Doubleheaders: The NFL's New Favorite Toy
You’ve probably noticed those weird Mondays where two games are happening at once. The NFL calls these "overlapping windows."
In Weeks 2, 4, 6, and 7 of the 2025 season, the league experimented heavily with this. Usually, one game starts early (around 7:00 p.m. ET) on ESPN, and the second game kicks off an hour later on ABC. It’s a nightmare for fantasy football managers who are trying to track two different games on two different screens, but it’s great for ratings.
In Week 7 specifically, we saw the ultimate curveball: The Texans vs. Seahawks game was tucked away exclusively on ESPN+. If you didn't have the app, you weren't seeing that game unless you lived in Houston or Seattle.
Where to Find the ManningCast
If you’re bored by the standard Joe Buck and Troy Aikman commentary, you’re probably looking for Peyton and Eli Manning. Their "ManningCast" (officially Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli) has a very specific home: ESPN2.
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They don't do every game. For the 2025-2026 run, they signed up for 12 telecasts. Usually, if it’s a massive game with a superstar quarterback—think Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen—the Mannings will be on ESPN2 cracking jokes and breaking down film.
One thing people always forget? The ManningCast is also available to stream on ESPN+. So if your cable package is the "skinny" kind that leaves out ESPN2, you can usually bypass that with the app.
How to Watch Monday Night Football Without Cable
If you’ve cut the cord, the monday night football tv channel situation actually gets a bit easier, though more expensive. You basically have two paths: the "All-In" streaming services or the "A La Carte" method.
Live TV Streaming Services
These are essentially cable over the internet. Services like YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and Fubo carry every channel you need—ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2.
- YouTube TV: Currently costs about $83/month. It’s the most reliable for sports because it also houses NFL Sunday Ticket.
- Hulu + Live TV: Around $90/month. The perk here is that it includes Disney+ and ESPN+ in the bundle, which covers those exclusive streaming-only games.
- Sling Orange: This is the "budget" pick at about $40/month. It gives you ESPN and ESPN2. However, it doesn't give you ABC in most markets. You have to rely on the "ESPN3" simulcast within the Sling app to see the ABC games.
The Streaming-Only Path
If you don't want to pay $80 a month, you can piece it together. The new ESPN Unlimited service (launched late in 2025) is the big player here. For about $30 a month, you get a direct feed of the ESPN cable channels.
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Then there’s NFL+. If you only care about watching on your phone or tablet, this is the cheapest way (around $15/month). But be warned: you cannot "cast" the live Monday night games from your phone to your TV. The NFL is very protective of those big-screen rights.
The Playoff and Schedule Flexing
We have to talk about "Flex Scheduling" because it changes everything in December.
From Week 12 through Week 17, the NFL has the power to move a crappy Monday night game to Sunday afternoon and replace it with a better one. They have to give 12 days' notice. This means the monday night football tv channel you were planning to watch might not even have a game if the matchup is a "dud."
Always check the schedule after Thanksgiving. If a team like the Panthers is scheduled for Monday Night and they’re 2-10, there is a 99% chance the NFL will flex them out for a team in the playoff hunt.
Actionable Steps to Get Ready for Kickoff
Don't wait until 8:14 p.m. to figure this out. Here is exactly what you should do to ensure you're never staring at a blank screen:
- Check the "Disney Tier": Look at your TV guide on Monday morning. If the game is on ABC, use your antenna or local stream. If it’s only on ESPN, make sure your login is active.
- Download the ESPN App: Even if you have cable, the app is a lifesaver. If your cable box freezes or the weather knocks out your satellite, you can usually stream the game on the app using your provider credentials.
- Audit Your Subscriptions in Week 7: This is usually when the "exclusive" streaming games hit. If you don't have ESPN+, you might need to sign up for a one-month "hit and run" subscription just to see that specific game.
- Invest in a $20 Antenna: Seriously. With the NFL putting more games back on ABC, a cheap digital antenna from a big-box store will save you from needing a streaming subscription for a good portion of the MNF schedule.
The landscape is shifting toward a world where you’ll eventually just buy an "NFL Season Pass" for everything, but until that day comes, keeping track of the monday night football tv channel is just part of being a fan. Stay flexible, keep your apps updated, and always have a backup stream ready.