Is Manningcast on tonight for Bills vs. Bengals Week 17 game?

Manningcast has been an extraordinary addition to the Monday Night Football viewing menu, but will it be on for tonight’s Bills-Bengals Week 17 game? 

Monday Night Football has always been a prestigious part of NFL lore, but its brand has taken a bit of a hit over the last handful of years. ESPN made a bold move to add Joe Buck and Troy Aikman to restore some of the glory to its broadcast but it stumbled upon something arguably even better in the interim.

The Manningcast, featuring Peyton and Eli Manning, has been one of the best broadcasting innovations in recent memory for the NFL. Old heads get their traditional MNF broadcast with two of the best announcers in the game, while others have the Manning brothers — plus guests — hosting a talk show style live watch where they provide an truly alternate broadcast experience.

It’s been a gateway for even the most casual fan to get engaged in the broadcast, if not the game, and has done wonders to the Monday Night Football brand.

However it’s not an every week thing. The Manning’s have taken a few weeks off this season, which means there are some games where the alternate broadcast isn’t an option.

Is Manningcast on tonight, January 2?

Unfortunately, there won’t be a Manningcast for tonight’s game. ESPN is blasting the broadcast of Bills-Bengals all over its properties, which could lead someone to believe that Manningcast will be on tonight.

That someone being me.

Manningcast typically airs on ESPN2, and tonight’s game is indeed listed as airing on ESPN2 but it won’t be what we’re all hoping it will be. The Manning’s are off this week which means it’ll be Buck and Aikman pulling all of the strings on all of the channels the game will be airing.

Last week’s episode hinted that there wouldn’t be anymore regular seasons airing and teased a return in a few weeks.

Manningcast will return, however. The final episode of the season will air concurrently with ESPN’s Wild Card game on January 16th.