Could Pat McAfee be broadcasting a Tennessee football game soon?
After McAfee’s deal with VFL Peyton Manning was announced on Thursday, that hypothetical question could become a reality in the near future.
On Thursday, Manning and McAfee announced a partnership that will see McAfee broadcast six college football games this season. The show setup will be an alternate broadcast, parallel with the traditional broadcast on ESPN, in the style of the Monday Night Manningcast.
“Peyton Manning and I are getting into business together,” McAfee announced on his show Thursday with Manning as a guest. “We have officially agreed, alongside Omaha Productions, to simulcast six college football games this season. We will be on ESPN2, the main cast will be on ESPN. Omaha [Productions] is obviously helping us along the way and we will be running it.”
Peyton Manning will still be doing the Manningcast broadcast alongside his brother, Eli Manning, this upcoming fall. However, according to McAfee, Manning will also be fully involved in the McAfeecast as well.
“I will be working directly with Peyton and Omaha and nobody else,” McAfee continued on to say. “We will have, I think, creative liberty and freedom to do whatever the (expletive) we want. I’m so honored.”
“Peyton, you’re the (expletive) man, thank you for the opportunity,” McAfee said. “Thank you for the business… and I think we have to celebrate, baby!”
There has been no schedule announced for the McAfeecast this upcoming season. However, with VFL Peyton Manning at the helm, it does seem likely that a high-profile Tennessee game on ESPN in the next few years could wind up as a McAfeecast as well.
“Can’t thank you enough, man,” Manning said after the celebration. “Looking forward to it. You’re the best. Honored to be your teammate, again if you will, and you will kill this. You know this. And everyone is fired up to watch – I can guarantee it!”
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For many years, Manning was always the star of the show and in front of the camera. Besides just the normal publicity duties that come with being a starting quarterback in the NFL, Manning was shooting commercials, hosting award shows, participating in Saturday Night Live sketches, and more.
While many of those ventures are still happening in front of a camera today, like the Manningcast, Manning enjoys getting to see “the other side” of the production world in his post-playing days.
“Pat, it’s been a lot of fun to be on this side of it,” Manning said about the production element of television. “For so many years, I always kind of had to be in everything. I never really had been a part of something where I could kind of be in the background, sort of providing counsel and resources and support. It’s just been fun to be on that side of it. Being around another great team. Got some great teammates, if you will, to use the football analogy, and we’re trying to create positive, uplifting content that celebrates community. To me, there’s a lot of great stories to tell that way and it’s really been a special run so far.”
As much as the former Tennessee quarterback enjoys being on the production side, though, Manning will always have an audience for his on-screen appearances. Manning will be co-hosting the CMA Country Music Awards with country musician Luke Bryan this November.
Just drafted our #1 picks for the 2022 #CMAawards! 🏆 We definitely scored this year with two-time CMA Awards Entertainer of the year @LukeBryan and NFL superstar Peyton Manning as our hosts! Let the award season begin! 🤩 Watch Wednesday, Nov. 9 on @ABCNetwork. pic.twitter.com/RcSuBN8Sfc
— CMA Country Music (@CountryMusic) August 1, 2022
