When ESPN airs an NFL Wild Card matchup in January 2015, you'll hardly notice the big distinction: It'll be the first NFL playoff game to ever air on cable, period.
It's a huge moment for cable TV, though, which has spent decades building up this kind of clout: ESPN's Monday Night Football broadcast team of Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and sideline reporter Lisa Salters will work the playoff game for ESPN, according to its Thursday announcement.
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The move comes thanks to an eight-year extension the league and sports TV giant reached for Monday Night Football broadcasts back in 2011, which took effect this spring and carries an option for a Wild Card playoff game on ESPN -- which is being exercised now. While ESPN banks heavily on the NFL through regular-season broadcasts, highlight shows and endless debate, showing a live postseason game is a first for pay TV.
“This game will be among the highest-rated programs of the year on cable and it is compelling content that will help us better serve football fans during the postseason," ESPN President John Skipper said in a press release.
The historic broadcast won't come cheap, however. The Wrap reports that showing the game will cost ESPN about $100 million, a number that's likely to be only partially off-set by ad sales.