The Monday Night Football answer changes with the calendar, but the 2025 schedule is already set. Here’s how to find tonight’s matchup, what time kickoff is, and why doubleheaders are now part of the Monday night routine.

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First MNF game: 1970 | Typical kickoff: 8:15 PM ET | Network: ESPN / ABC | Games in 2025 MNF slate: 25 | Doubleheaders: 2022

Tonight’s Game

Typical Start Time

Network & Streaming

Doubleheader Info

The quick numbers that shape most “when is MNF on?” searches are below.

Fact Value
First MNF game 1970
Typical kickoff 8:15 PM ET
Network ESPN / ABC
Games in 2025 MNF slate 25
Doubleheader start 2022

Who are the teams playing Monday Night Football tonight?

If “tonight” lands on a Monday during the 2025 NFL season, the answer is tied to the league’s week-by-week schedule. The first Monday window of the year opens on September 8, 2025, with the Vikings visiting the Bears at 8:15 p.m. ET.

How to check the current week’s matchup

Where to find official NFL schedule

The league’s official schedule feed is the safest place to confirm the matchup, while ESPN’s MNF hub carries game pages with odds, tickets, and weather. Both pages appear in the snapshot block above.

Here are the 2025 Monday Night Football windows referenced in the current slate, through Week 11.

Week Date Matchup Kickoff (ET)
1 Sep 8 Vikings at Bears 8:15 PM
2 Sep 15 Buccaneers at Texans / Chargers at Raiders 7:00 PM / 10:00 PM
3 Sep 22 Lions at Ravens 8:15 PM
4 Sep 29 Jets at Dolphins / Bengals at Broncos 7:15 PM / 8:15 PM
5 Oct 6 Chiefs at Jaguars 8:15 PM
6 Oct 13 Bills at Falcons / Bears at Commanders 7:15 PM / 8:15 PM
7 Oct 20 Buccaneers at Lions / Texans at Seahawks 7:00 PM / 10:00 PM
8 Oct 27 Commanders at Chiefs 8:15 PM
9 Nov 3 Cardinals at Cowboys * 8:15 PM
10 Nov 10 Eagles at Packers * 8:15 PM
11 Nov 17 Cowboys at Raiders * 8:15 PM

* Weeks 9-11 come from a secondary schedule tracker and should be checked against the official NFL schedule before use.

The takeaway: The NFL’s doubleheader schedule means fans who tune in at 8:15 will miss the first game of Week 2 and Week 7, so check the listed start time before choosing a seat.

For more context on upcoming matchups, the 2026 NFL Draft Order project shows how early-season results shape future schedules, and the 49ers vs Los Angeles Rams match player stats page breaks down a recent Monday night-style showdown.

The pattern: “Tonight” is not a fixed team in 2025; it’s a week-specific question, and the schedule table above gives the quick answer for every Monday through Week 11.

What time does Monday Night Football start tonight?

The standard kickoff for a single Monday Night Football game is 8:15 p.m. ET. When ESPN uses a doubleheader, the first game kicks off earlier, usually at 7:00 or 7:15 p.m. ET, and the second game follows at 8:15 or 10:00 p.m. ET.

“The 2025 Monday Night Football schedule brings back traditional doubleheaders in Weeks 2 and 7, with the first game at 7 p.m. and the second at 10 p.m. ET.” — ESPN Press Room

Time zone conversions matter more in the doubleheader windows. Here’s what the 8:15 p.m. ET standard looks like elsewhere:

  • Eastern: 8:15 PM
  • Central: 7:15 PM
  • Mountain: 6:15 PM
  • Pacific: 5:15 PM
Tip: If you see a 7:00 or 7:15 primary game, set the first alert for the earlier time, because the second game may not start until 10:00.

The takeaway: If you see a 7:00 or 7:15 kickoff on Monday Night Football, it’s a doubleheader week, not a change to the regular prime-time slot.

Why are there two Monday Night Football games now?

Monday Night Football started as one weekly prime-time game. ESPN introduced occasional doubleheaders in 2022, then expanded that idea in 2023, and the 2025 schedule formalizes it with a five-doubleheader format.

“Week 2 features a Monday Night Football doubleheader on September 15, 2025 with Buccaneers at Texans at 7:00 p.m. ET and Chargers at Raiders at 10:00 p.m. ET.” — Sports Illustrated

The format didn’t appear overnight. The key dates are below.

The pattern: The NFL is using Monday night as a two-game window in select weeks, not a one-off experiment.

Is there Monday Night Football on December 29?

The answer depends on the season. For 2025, the published MNF list runs through Week 11, and the league’s late-season schedule can change through flex scheduling.

Late-season warning: Don’t book a watch party around an unconfirmed matchup. The NFL can flex games out of Monday night, so the team listed in the spring isn’t guaranteed to stay there by December.

Monday Night Football on January 5

January 5 falls in the regular-season finale window in many seasons. The exact TV assignment comes from the NFL’s schedule release, not from the standard MNF list.

Monday Night Football on January 12

By January 12, the NFL is usually in the postseason. Playoff dates are set separately from the regular-season MNF slate, so check the league’s official playoff schedule.

The unclear part is the late-season calendar. These points depend on the league’s official schedule:

  • Whether December 29 has a Monday game changes by season.
  • Whether January 5 is a regular-season or playoff date changes by year.
  • Whether the January 12 game is a Monday playoff game depends on the NFL’s postseason bracket.
  • Whether a scheduled MNF game stays at its original kickoff time depends on flex rules.

The pattern: Late-season Monday dates are conditional, so the question “is there MNF on Dec. 29?” can’t be answered from the Week 1-11 slate alone.

Who’s playing the first Monday Night Football?

The first Monday Night Football game aired on September 21, 1970, with the New York Jets facing the Cleveland Browns on ABC. Cleveland won that game, and the broadcast became the template for prime-time NFL football.

History note: The first game was a single ABC broadcast, not a doubleheader. The two-game Monday format came five decades later.

Before that, prime-time NFL exposure was rare, and the success of the 1970 broadcast helped prove a weekly Monday game could draw an audience.

The pattern: Every “who’s playing tonight” search sits on top of a format that started with one game and now spans multiple Monday windows.

Additional sources

dish.com, espnpressroom.com, foxsports.com, usatoday.com, espn.com, sports.yahoo.com, nytimes.com, espn.com

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Frequently Asked Questions

What channel is Monday Night Football on?

Monday Night Football airs on ESPN, with ABC carrying a portion of the 2025 slate. ESPN’s schedule pages identify which games are ABC simulcasts.

Can I stream Monday Night Football online?

Yes. NFL+ and ESPN+ carry Monday Night Football in most markets, subject to local broadcast rules.

How many Monday Night Football games are there in a season?

ESPN’s 2025 MNF slate includes 25 games across the season, up from the traditional single-game weeks because of doubleheaders.

Why does Monday Night Football start at 8:15 PM?

8:15 p.m. ET is the current standard kickoff for the NFL’s Monday prime-time window. Doubleheaders push the first game earlier to fit two full broadcasts.

Who has the most Monday Night Football appearances?

Dallas has historically been the most frequent Monday Night Football team, but the official record changes as new games are played.

What is the Monday Night Football schedule for the 2026 season?

The 2026 schedule is not out yet. NFL schedules are released each spring, so the 2025 slate above is the last full published MNF reference.

How can I find out who is playing Monday Night Football tonight?

Open the NFL or ESPN schedule for the current week. The page lists the teams, kickoff time, TV network, and sometimes the betting odds.

The NFL’s scheduling decisions determine which teams appear on Monday night, so the answer to “who’s playing tonight” starts with the league’s published slate.