Monday Night Football Song History And First Game

Monday Night Football song history covers opening themes Score, Heavy Action, All My Rowdy Friends are here on Monday Night, and Rip It Up.

Monday Night Football (MNF) has been running since 1970. Originally, MNF was aired on ABC before it moved exclusively to ESPN in 2006.

The first song that was used as a theme song for MNF was composed by Charles Fox. It was introduced in 1970 when the show premiered.

Chet Forte was the director of the MNF for the first 17 years from 1970 to 1986. Then, Larry Kamm, Craig Janoff, Drew Esocoff, and Jimmy Platt were the director for MNF. The 2023 season will run under Derek Mobley. 

Additionally, The first-ever Monday Night Football game was played between the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns on September 21, 1970, on ESPN and ABC channels.

Who Sings Monday Night Football Song?

The famous singer Marshmello has been the voice of Monday Night Football Song Heavy Action. Butcher Browns sang Rip It Up in 2020 and 2021.

The 2022 season MNF song was originally composed by Johnny Pearson in 1970 and featured four distinct descending notes.

Marshmello added his signature beats and sound to the classic tune, creating a modern and energetic version.

Monday Night Football Singers List

Monday Night Football has had a few famous singers perform its opening theme over the years. Here are some notable Monday Night Football singers:

  • Charles Fox
  • Johnny Pearson
  • Hank Williams Jr.
  • Butcher Brown
  • Marshmello

Old Monday Night Football Song

Original Monday Night Football theme song Heavy Action has been the opening theme song from 1976 to 1988, 2011 to 2016, and 2022.

There are several songs that have been used as the theme song for Monday Night Football over the years. The first one was the “Score” by Bob Band from 1970 to 1975.

Similarly, Heavy Action became synonymous with Monday Night Football and it was used as the main theme song until 1988.

In 1989, ABC replaced it with a modified version of Hank Williams Jr.’s All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight.

However, Heavy actions remained a secondary theme for the MNF team from 1989 to 2011 and again from 2017 to 2021.

Monday Night Football Theme Song Lyrics

MNF theme song Heavy Action is an instrumental song and does not have any lyrics. It creates a mood and atmosphere for the game.

The song has a strong brass fanfare opening and a catchy melody that conveys the excitement and drama of the game. It was originally written for a BBC documentary.

NFL Monday Night Football theme song 2021 season “Rip It Up” starts with the line, “Well, it’s Saturday night and I just got paid to It’s Monday night and I’m Feeling Fine”. Butcher Brown and Richmond created the new version of Rip It Up in the 2020 season.

Throughout the season, the lyrics of the theme song changed every week to match the teams that were playing on Monday Night Football.

Monday Night Football Singer History

Monday Night Football singer history contains many great singers including Charles Fox who composed the first original theme song Score in 1970.

The 82-year-old composer Fox sang an original MNF song under the name Bob’s Brand. This was a funky soul-jazz tune that featured a Hammond organ and lasted until 1975.

MNF has a tradition of featuring various singers and bands performing the opening theme song. One of the most famous renditions was performed by Hank Willilams Jr. with his modified version of the song All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Night.

The Emmy Award winner Hank Williams Jr MNF song was dropped by ESPN after controversial comments about President Barack Obama in 2011, but he returned in 2017. 

Similarly, British composer Johnny Pearson was also known for his song Heavy Action. For the first time, ABC adopted his song as an MNF theme song from 1976 to 1988.

In the 2022 season, Pearson’s song was remixed by Marshmello, a famous electronic music producer and DJ. This remix signature sound was used as the opening theme for the MNF program in 2022.

When Does Monday Night Football Start?

First Monday Night football game between Buffalo Bills and New York Jets will air on 11th September, 8:15 PM ET. The 2023 season has 21 games on Monday Night Football.

The 2023 MMF program is back with a new season featuring exciting games from September 11 to December 25. 

ESPN will have the majority of exclusive broadcasting rights for the 2023 season’s MNF games. Some of them will also be on ABC and ESPN Plus.

The majority of Monday Night Football games will kick off at 8:15 PM. There will be some thrilling games that will start at 1 PM, 4:30 PM, and 7:15 PM. 

NFL Monday Night Football Schedule 2023

  • Week 1 – Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets on September 11 at 8:15 PM.
  • Week 2 – New Orleans Saints vs. Carolina Panthers on September 18 at 7:15 PM.
  • Week 2 – Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers on September 18 at 8:15 PM.
  • Week 3 – Philadelphia Eagles vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 25 at 7:15 PM.
  • Week 3 – Los Angeles Rams vs. Cincinnati Bengals on September 25 at 8:15 PM.
  • Week 4 – Seattle Seahawks vs. New York Giants on October 2 at 8:15 PM.
  • Week 5 – Green Bay Packers vs. Las Vegas Raiders on October 9 at 8:15 PM.
  • Week 6 – Dallas Cowboys vs. Los Angeles Chargers on October 16 at 8:15 PM.
  • Week 7 – San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings on October 23 at 8:15 PM.
  • Week 8 – Las Vegas Raiders vs. Detroit Lions on October 30 at 8:15 PM.
  • Week 9 – Los Angeles Chargers vs. New York Jets on November 6 at 8:15 PM.
  • Week 10 – Denver Broncos vs. Buffalo Bills on November 13 at 8:15 PM.
  • Week 11 – Philadelphia Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs on November 20 at 8:15 PM.
  • Week 12 – Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings on November 27 at 8:15 PM.
  • Week 13 – Cincinnati Bengals vs. Jacksonville Jaguars on December 4 at 8:15 PM.
  • Week 14 – Tennessee Titans vs. Miami Dolphins on December 11 at 8:15 PM.
  • Week 14 – Green Bay Packers vs. New York Giants on December 11 at 8:15 PM.
  • Week 15 – Kansas City Chiefs vs New England Patriots on December 18 at 8:5 PM.
  • Week 16 – Las Vegas Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs on December 25 at 1 PM.
  • Week 16 – New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles on December 25 at 4:30 PM.
  • Week 16 – Baltimore Ravens vs. San Francisco 49ers on December 25 at 8:15 PM.

What Channel is Monday Night Football On In 2023?

Monday Night Football 2023 season will be available on various ESPN and ABC. ESPN channels include ESPN+, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3, and ESPN Deporters.

ESPN will broadcast 15 out of 21 games exclusively in 2023. 

You can also watch FOX games on local stations WBRC 6 in Birmingham, KTBY 4 in Anchorage, KSAZ-TV 10 in Phoenix, KBFX-CD 58 in Bakersfield, and WFTX 36 in Cape Coral.

Depending on the state, the ABC version of MNF is broadcasted on different channels. Some of the television stations that are owned by ABC are:

  • WGWW-DT2 40.2 in Anniston
  • WBMA-LD 58 in Birmingham
  • WDHN 18 in Dothan
  • KYUR 13 in Anchorage
  • KATN 2 in Fairbanks
  • KNXV-TV in Phoenix
  • KAIT 8 in Jonesboro
  • KABC-TV 30 in Fresno
  • KRDO-TV 13 in Colorado Springs
  • WTNH-TV 8 in New Haven
  • WJLA-TV 7 in Washington
  • WPLG 10 in Miami
  • WSB-TV 2 in Atlanta
  • KMAU-TV in Wailuku

MNF will kick off its 2023 season on September 11. In total, ESPN and ABC will share the most broadcasting rights for 19 games. 

However, you can also enjoy some of the games on FOX and ESPN Plus which will offer exclusive coverage of the Week 1 game between the Bills vs Jets, Week 11 Eagles vs Chiefs, and Giants vs Eagles on Week 16 respectively.

How to Stream Monday Night Football For Free

Monday Night Football Streaming Options cover free trial offer from DirecTV Stream and Fubo TV by signing up for 2 days of live TV.

Similarly, one of the best ways to stream Monday Night Football for free is to use an over-the-air antenna. This device can help you to attach to your TV and receive local broadcast channels such as ABC without paying for cable.

These streaming services offer live and on-demand TV channels including ESPN, the main channel for MNF.

Can You Watch Monday Night Football on ESPN Plus?

Yes, you can watch some of the Monday Night Football games via ESPN Plus. It comes with a base subscription at $9.99 monthly. 

The ESPN+ is available on Android and iOS devices plus on streaming platforms like Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, and Roku.

For the 2023 season, ESPN Plus will have exclusive coverage right of the Week 11 matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. The match is at Arrowhead Stadium on November 20 at 8:15 PM.

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