- In 1969, ABC wins the Monday Night Football contract for $8.5 million from the National Football league.
- Roone Arledge wants his buddy Frank Gifford to be the color commentator. Gifford declines and continues his duties at CBS.
- Frank Gifford sets up a lunch meeting for his friend and former Dallas Cowboy Quarterback Don Meredith to meet Arledge. Arledge likes Meredith's irreverent style and hires him on the spot as color commentator for a three-year deal.
- After considerable attempts to hire a play-by-play analyst with "star-power," Arledge gives into persuasion and hires Keith Jackson for the newly created role of announcer.
- Arledge hires Howard Cosell as host of ABC's Monday Night Football®.
- September 21, 1970 -- The first game of Monday Night Football® is played with a record-setting attendance of 85,703- Cleveland Browns vs. New York Jets.
- 1970 -- At the conclusion of the first season, Monday Night Football® averages a 18.5 rating, making it the third highest-rated program, just behind The Flip Wilson Show and The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
- April 1971 -- Arledge drops Keith Jackson to enlist Gifford as play-by-play analyst.
- 1972 -- Monday Night Football's second-season ratings skyrocket, posting an average weekly rating of 20.8. Mayberry R.F.D is canceled, and Carol Burnett moves to Saturdays.
- 1973 -- Arledge appoints Don Ohlmeyer as the hands-on producer of Monday Night Football®.
- November 1973 -- Ronald Reagan and John Lennon visit the Monday Night Football® booth. Howard Cosell interviews Lennon, and Gifford interviews Reagan. Monday Night Football® begins to incorporate celebrity appearances into the show, including Burt Reynolds, Ted Kennedy, Ethel Kennedy, Dorothy Hamill, John Denver and Henry Kissinger.
- 1974 -- Don Meredith quits Monday Night Football® and signs a contract with NBC.
- 1974 -- Arledge hires Fred "The Hammer" Williamson to replace Don Meredith.
- August 19, 1974 -- Williamson goes on-air and clashes with Cosell in the booth. He does two more exhibition games before ABC buys out his contract.
- Arledge hires Alex Karras to replace Williamson.
- September 20, 1975 -- Monday Night Football® spins off Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell, an entertainment variety show. After a series of low-rated episodes the show dies.
- 1975 -- CBS tries to compete with ABC's Monday Night Football® by putting All in the Family up against it. NBC schedules blockbuster movies against the sports franchise to avoid a ratings slide.
- 1975 -- Sports Sales signs Miller as the exclusive Monday Night Football® beer for approximately $5 million.
- November 1976 -- Arledge is offered the job to take over ABC News in addition to his sports responsibilities. May 1977, his newly created position is announced to the media.
- 1977 -- Monday Night Football® producer Don Ohlmeyer leaves the show to produce the Moscow Olympics for NBC. Dennis Lewin takes over as the show's producer.
- 1977 -- Don Meredith returns to Monday Night Football®.
- 1980 -- Season nine, Dennis Lewin leaves his post of Monday Night Football® producer, and Terry O'Neil takes over.
- December 8, 1980 -- One of Monday Night Football's most memorable moments: Cosell announces that John Lennon has been killed outside of his apartment in New York.
- 1980 -- O'Neil lasts one season as producer, and Bob Goodrich becomes his successor in time for Monday Night Football's 10th Anniversary.
- 1982 -- Players strike lasts for nine weeks.
- 1983 -- O.J. Simpson joins the ABC announce team, analyzing the additional games that Don Meredith's contract doesn't require him to cover.
- 1983 -- Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets marks the last Monday Night Football® game for Howard Cosell.
- 1984 -- ABC's three-man team becomes Gifford, Meredith and Simpson.
- 1984 -- ABC's Jim Lampley comes on board as Monday Night Football's halftime highlights commentator.
- 1984 -- Don Meredith leaves Monday Night Football® again at the end of the season.
- January 20, 1985 -- ABC Sports sells the first $1-million minute of advertising in the television industry.
- 1985 -- Arledge diminishes Simpson to a lesser role on the ABC team and brings in Joe Namath to fill his spot.
- 1985 -- ABC merges with Capital Cities Communications, Inc.
- 1986 -- Dennis Swanson takes over the post as president of ABC Sports and asserts his authority, leaving Arledge virtually powerless in the network's sports arena.
- Dennis Swanson mandates Monday Night Football® will feature only a two-man team. Frank Gifford shifts positions to host and color commentator while ABC's college football analyst Al Michaels takes Gifford's long-standing role as play-by-play analyst.
- 1987 -- Dan Dierdorf joins the Monday Night Football® analyst team as commentator.
- 2001 -- Though the names and faces have changed, ABC continues to present Monday Night Football® every week.
|
|
SCHEDULE
Current Airings
TNTdrama.com is part of Turner Entertainment Digital which is part of Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital Network.