or


[02/15/12 - 09:28 AM]
Ron Jaworski Signs Five-Year Extension for New, Expanded Multiplatform Analyst Role
He'll depart "Monday Night Football," leaving Mike Tirico and Jon Gruden as a new two-person commentator team.

[via press release from ESPN]

Ron Jaworski Signs Five-Year Extension for New, Expanded Multiplatform Analyst Role

New ESPN Monday Night Football Commentator Team: Mike Tirico and Jon Gruden

Ron Jaworski has signed a five-year extension with ESPN for a new, expanded multiplatform NFL analyst role that includes appearances on Sunday NFL Countdown, Monday Night Countdown, NFL Matchup, NFL-branded specials, Mike & Mike in the Morning, Pardon the Interruption, and other platforms and shows throughout the year. Also, ESPN's Monday Night Football will have a new two-person commentator team for the first time during the 2012 NFL season with Mike Tirico and analyst Jon Gruden.

Jaworski, the former Philadelphia Eagles standout quarterback, will have a greater year-round presence on ESPN in his new role. In addition to appearing weekly on both Countdown shows and Matchup, Jaworski will make regular appearances on SportsCenter (primarily Sundays and Mondays), NFL Live, NFL Kickoff, Mike & Mike, and the PTI's "Five Good Minutes". He will also be featured in ESPN's annual NFL Draft and Super Bowl week coverage, in addition to having his own NFL-themed SportsCenter Special shows highlighting his expert analysis and X's and O's film evaluations.

Jaworski has covered the league from virtually every angle since joining ESPN in 1990, including sideline reporter, game-site reporter, host, and both studio and game analyst. He served as a MNF analyst the past five seasons.

"I am grateful for having the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of working on Monday Night Football the past five seasons with Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and so many other talented people behind the scenes who make the show so great, and I look forward to bringing my passion and knowledge of the game to more fans in more places than ever before on any and all football topics," said Jaworski.

"I thank Ron for the great contributions he has made to Monday Night Football and look forward to the many ways he will enhance our studio presentation from our NFL-branded shows to SportsCenter," said ESPN President John Skipper. "With two strong analysts in Ron and Jon, these moves will better utilize their strengths and benefit our entire NFL presentation."

With Jaworski's new role, Tirico, one of the industry's top play-by-play voices, and Gruden, the dynamic Super Bowl-winning head coach, will combine to give ESPN one of the top duos in NFL broadcasting. In addition to working alongside Jaworski the past three seasons on Monday nights, Tirico and Gruden have called a number of college football bowl games together, including the 2011 and 2012 Outback Bowl games, and the 2011 BCS National Championship (with Todd Blackledge) on ESPN Radio. They will make their regular season MNF debut on September 10.

The Tirico-Gruden pairing marks just the sixth time in MNF's 42-year history that sports television's signature series will feature a two-person commentator team. In addition, this will be the first time in 15 years that ESPN has used a two-person lead team on its NFL game coverage. The last was Mike Patrick and Joe Theismann who called Sunday Night Football games together from 1988-1997.

ESPN'S MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

ESPN's Monday Night Football has ranked as the most-watched series on cable television for six straight years, drawing 14 of the 2011 calendar year's 20 biggest cable household audiences, and 13 of the top 20 among viewers. ESPN's 17 Monday Night Football telecasts in 2011 averaged a 9.7 rating (8.4 US rating), representing an average of 9,589,000 households (13,252,000 viewers - P2+), according to Nielsen. Additionally, ESPN ranked as the No. 1 network each Monday night last season among the coveted key male demographics (M18-34 and M18-49). Since its debut on ESPN in 2006, MNF has registered seven of the top 10 all-time biggest household audiences in cable history (three Bowl Championship Series college football games - which also aired on ESPN - occupy the other top 10 spots).

* Quotes from Mike Tirico and Jon Gruden on today's announcement on ESPN Front Row





  [february 2012]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
   


· MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL (ESPN)





[03/27/24 - 01:43 PM]
FOX Entertainment Unveils New Structure with Three-Pillar Focus on Global Studio Operations, Linear & Streaming Platforms and Worldwide Sales & Licensing
The new FOX Entertainment will consist of three primary business segments, including FOX Entertainment Studios, the FOX Television Network and FOX Entertainment Global.

[03/27/24 - 01:03 PM]
Video: "Big Mood" - Official Trailer - A Tubi Original
Best friends Maggie and Eddie have lived in each other's pockets for ten years. But with the future looming, can their relationship survive?

[03/27/24 - 12:32 PM]
This April, Series "Mud Madness" Debuts on Discovery Channel, Alongside All-New Seasons of "Ghost Adventures: House Calls" and "Contraband: Seized at the Border"
"Mud Madness" is a brand-new series that follows the off-road subculture of extreme Big-Tire UTV mud racing and the passionate characters that drive the sport.

[03/27/24 - 12:25 PM]
Ten American Bakers Travel to Paris for Food Network's Ultimate Pastry Competition "Next Baking Master: Paris"
Premiering Monday, May 6, the series demands that competitors prove their mettle in the pillars of great baking and pastry: technique, artistry, flavor, innovation, and inspiration.

[03/27/24 - 12:00 PM]
Video: HBO Releases Official Teaser for "The Jinx - Part Two," Debuting April 21
In Part Two, the filmmakers continue their investigation for the next eight years, uncovering hidden material, Robert Durst's prison calls, and interviews with witnesses who had not come forward until now.

[03/27/24 - 12:00 PM]
Backstabbery Is Back as E! Announces Conniving New Cast of "House of Villains" Season Two, Premiering This Fall
Season one cast member Tiffany "New York" Pollard returns for a chance at redemption.

[03/27/24 - 10:02 AM]
Lifetime Greenlights "Gaslit By My Husband: The Morgan Metzer Story" Starring Jana Kramer and Austin Nichols
Kramer, who has openly spoken about domestic abuse, will film a new a PSA for Lifetime's Stop Violence Against Women initiative to align with the subject matter of this movie.

[03/27/24 - 10:00 AM]
"The Steve Wilkos Show" Renewed for 18th Season in National Syndication
The show is hosted by Steve Wilkos, the straightforward, tough-talking former Chicago police officer and United States Marine.

[03/27/24 - 09:59 AM]
Starz's Hit Drama Series "Power Book III: Raising Kanan" Scores Early Season Five Renewal
The third installment in the "Power" franchise, "Raising Kanan" recently concluded its explosive third season and is currently filming season four in New York.

[03/27/24 - 09:30 AM]
Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively Officially Reuniting for Paul Feig-Helmed Sequel, "A Simple Favor 2"
The highly anticipated sequel is a co-production with Lionsgate and follows the studio's 2018 release of "A Simple Favor," which was a critical and commercial success, earning more than $97 million at the worldwide box office and achieving Certified Fresh status on Rotten Tomatoes.

[03/27/24 - 09:17 AM]
FOX Nation Partners with Martin Scorsese for New Docudrama "Martin Scorsese Presents: THE SAINTS"
Slated for November, the series will encompass eight one-hour episodes exploring the remarkable stories of eight men and women who risked everything to embody humanity's most noble and complex trait - faith.

[03/27/24 - 09:00 AM]
Academy Award Winner and Tony Award Nominee Ariana DeBose Returns to Host "The 77th Annual Tony Awards," Airing Live Sunday, June 16, on CBS and Paramount+
DeBose will also serve as producer and choreograph the opening number for this year's show.

[03/27/24 - 08:58 AM]
"NKOTB" Bandmate Jonathan Knight Returns for Season Three of Hit HGTV Series "Farmhouse Fixer" on Tuesday, April 23, at 9 p.m. ET/PT
The series, which attracted more than 15 million viewers to its previous season, will follow Jon, best known as a member of the Grammy-nominated band New Kids on the Block, and his go-to designer Kristina Crestin, as they take on a slew of risky renovations.

[03/27/24 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Good Times" - Official Trailer - Netflix
In this edgy, irreverent reimagining of the TV classic, a new generation of the Evans family keeps their heads above water in a Chicago housing project.

[03/27/24 - 06:01 AM]
Hulu on Disney+ Launches Today in the U.S. for Disney Bundle Subscribers
Bundle plans are available starting at $9.99/month, while Disney+ and Hulu each remain available as standalone offerings.