GMC is Returning Sponsor – 2018 Terrain to be featured in Weekly MNF Open
Photos via ESPN Images
Gallery via ESPN Front Row
ESPN’s Monday Night Football kicks off the 2017 NFL season on Sept. 11 with an updated red carpet open featuring even more star players than a year ago.
The red carpet-themed open debuted in 2016 with ESPN’s MNF team – Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden and reporter Lisa Salters – and NFL stars and Pro Football Hall of Famers arriving at the stadium while greeted by cheering fans and photographers.
In all, nearly 20 additional NFL players will be part of the 2017 MNF open, including:
| NFL Player | Team |
| Amari Cooper | Oakland Raiders |
| Fletcher Cox | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Antonio Gates | Los Angeles Chargers |
| A.J. Green | Cincinnati Bengals |
| T.Y. Hilton | Indianapolis Colts |
| Travis Kelce | Kansas City Chiefs |
| Jarvis Landry | Miami Dolphins |
| Greg Olsen | Carolina Panthers |
| Gerald McCoy | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| LeSean McCoy | Buffalo Bills |
| DeMarco Murray | Tennessee Titans |
| Jason Pierre-Paul | New York Giants |
| Emmanuel Sanders | Denver Broncos |
| Matthew Stafford | Detroit Lions |
| Ndamukong Suh | Miami Dolphins |
| Aqib Talib | Denver Broncos |
| Ryan Tannehill | Miami Dolphins |
| Earl Thomas | Seattle Seahawks |
| Deshaun Watson | Houston Texans |
The new open will debut Monday before ESPN’s season-opening MNF doubleheader – New Orleans Saints vs. Minnesota Vikings (6:55 p.m. ET) followed by Los Angeles Chargers vs. Denver Broncos (10:15 p.m.). After week 1, it will air at 8:15 p.m. ET when ESPN kicks off its weekly MNF telecast.
GMC returns as the MNF showcase sponsor with its 2018 Terrain as the featured vehicle in the opening sequence.
ESPN’s in-house Creative Services group – led by senior director of motion graphics Mike “Spike” Szykowny and creative director Lucas Nickerson – created the open with Motomo Studios and Mindcastle.
Active NFL players who will continue to be part of the MNF open include: Antonio Brown (Pittsburgh Steelers), Derek Carr (Oakland Raiders), Andy Dalton (Cincinnati Bengals), Larry Fitzgerald (Arizona Cardinals), Rob Gronkowski (New England Patriots), DeAndre Hopkins (Houston Texans), Brandon Marshall (New York Giants), Tyrann Mathieu (Arizona Cardinals), Clay Matthews (Green Bay Packers), Von Miller (Denver Broncos), Josh Norman (Washington Redskins), Adrian Peterson (New Orleans Saints) and Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks). NFL legends include: Dwight Freeney (Indianapolis Colts), Eddie George (Tennessee Titans), Franco Harris (Pittsburgh Steelers), Jerry Rice (San Francisco 49ers), Barry Sanders (Detroit Lions) and Bruce Smith (Buffalo Bills).
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