ESPN Studio Programming Surrounds NFL’s Conference Championship Games

NFL

ESPN Studio Programming Surrounds NFL’s Conference Championship Games

  • Postseason NFL Countdown Begins at Noon ET, Leads into NFC Championship Game; Jason Kelce Joins the Bristol-Based Show from Outside Lincoln Financial Field
  • Chris Berman and NFL Primetime Immediately to Follow AFC Championship on ESPN and ESPN+; Additional NFL Coverage Across SportsCenter, NFL Matchup and ESPN Digital Platforms
  • They Call it Late Night with Jason Kelce Airs from Philadelphia Late Friday Night/Early Saturday Morning

ESPN’s multi-platform coverage surrounding the NFL’s Conference Championship Sunday (Jan. 26) will provide in-depth analysis and discussion, and potentially breaking news, before and after the Super Bowl LIX matchup is solidified. Postseason NFL Countdown (Sunday, Noon-3 p.m. ET) – with Jason Kelce, in Philadelphia, joining the Sunday NFL Countdown crew – and NFL Primetime (Sunday, approximately 9:45-10:45 p.m.), are ESPN’s  pre- and post- game shows for the AFC Championship (Bills at Chiefs) and NFC Championship (Commanders at Eagles).

SportsCenter, which will surround both shows on Sunday, will begin at 6:30 a.m., or following the conclusion of the Australian Open match, while SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt is set to air at 11 p.m. NFL Matchup, additional editions of SportsCenter and content on ESPN digital platforms will add to ESPN’s coverage  throughout the weekend.

In the early hours of the morning on Saturday, They Call it Late Night with Jason Kelce (1-2 a.m.) will return for its fourth episode as Kelce and his guests combine humorous banter with football dialogue, unofficially kicking off Championship Weekend.

Postseason NFL Countdown Proceeds Conference Championships
Postseason NFL Countdown, featuring Mike Greenberg, Rex Ryan, Alex Smith, Tedy Bruschi, Adam Schefter and Erin Dolan in ESPN’s Bristol-based studio and Kelce contributing from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, will lead into Sunday’s NFC Championship game. Kelce will be stationed outside the stadium, amongst the fans, joining the show for multiple segments. In the show’s final hour, the former Eagle will join reporter Sal Paolantonio from inside the stadium.

Kimberley A. Martin (Commanders), Dan Graziano (Bills) and Jeff Darlington (Chiefs) will join Paolantonio as ESPN’s NFL national reporters onsite at the NFC and AFC Championships, respectively.

NFL Primetime Leads the Way for ESPN’s Super Bowl LIX Coverage
NFL Primetime with Chris Berman and Booger McFarland will follow the AFC Championship, at approximately 9:45 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN+. The long-running highlight show, which continues its annual tradition of airing on ESPN on Championship Sunday, will recap both Conference Championships while also serving as the first ESPN show to preview the upcoming Super Bowl matchup.

NFL Matchup Brings Fans the Xs and Os
On Saturday, NFL Matchup (9-9:30 a.m.) will bring fans an in-depth breakdown of the four remaining teams using NFL Films game footage. Hosted by Paolantonio, the show will be available on ESPN2 and available to stream on ESPN+.

They Call it Late Night with Jason Kelce Sets the Table for the High-Stakes Weekend
Early Saturday morning, They Call it Late Night with Jason Kelce (1-2 a.m.) returns to Union Transfer in Philadelphia. This week, Kelce will be joined by 13-year NFL safety and ESPN NFL analyst Ryan Clark and stand-up comedian, actor, writer and producer Jim Gaffigan, with the potential for other guests to be added.

For fans who miss the show in the early morning hours on ESPN and ESPN+, the full episode will be available on the Jason Kelce channel on YouTube presented by ESPN on Saturday morning at 8 a.m. with replays also airing on ESPN2.

SportsCenter Complements NFL Programming
Similar to Sunday, ESPN’s flagship show will air early Saturday morning, beginning at 7 a.m. on ESPN and continuing for four hours, with Jeremy Fowler and Louis Riddick contributing to the show.

Throughout Sunday’s morning editions of SportsCenter, Herm Edwards, Damien Woody and Schefter are set to contribute. On the back end of the day, Tim Hasselbeck and Bill Barnwell with SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt.

ESPN Digital Platforms Cover Conference Championship Sunday
ESPN digital platforms will provide relevant reading material connected to the ensuing games; highlights include:

  • “The rise of Jayden Daniels in Washington,” by John Keim (available on ESPN.com)
  • “Josh Allen’s evolution as a leader,” by Alaina Getzenberg (available on ESPN.com)
  • “Did Jayden Daniels just put up the greatest rookie season in NFL history? We ranked them,” by Barnwell (available on ESPN+)
  • “NFL Divisional game guide,” by NFL Nation (available on ESPN.com)

2025 Pro Bowl Games and Super Bowl LIX Coverage
Conference Championship Sunday coverage will lead into ESPN’s 2025 Pro Bowl Games and Super Bowl LIX coverage. Additional information is forthcoming and will be available on ESPN Press Room.

-30-

Lily Blum

Based in New York City, Lily Blum is a Communications Manager with a focus on ESPN’s NFL portfolio and miscellaneous and high school sports. She is a Maryland native, Baltimore sports fan and proud University of Maryland graduate.
Back to top button