CBS has taken a new approach to making their football content more appealing to even the people who don’t want to watch football for three hours. Using former quarterback superstars Payton and Eli Manning as the stars of their newest series has already driven up ratings for Monday Night Football. “Manning Cast” is a way for Monday Night Football to become more than just a game, it becomes an experience even on the couch at home.

The article “ESPN’s ‘Manning Cast’ is a hit. It could also change how we watch the NFL,” discusses just how great the viewership has been after only three episodes. Debuting at about 800,000 viewers in week one, it has reached 1.6 million on the latest episode.

I think this was an innovative move by CBS. Using football talent that has had such a great impact on football that also share that familiar bond makes for relateable content  that draws viewers. According to the VP of Programming and original content views are up 15% from the last two years.

The team that put this idea together understood the gap in the market abd excecuted a solution that was creative and showed they took a new approach to liven up the view experience.  I think that this new show is extremely marketable and many campaigns could come as a result of this new show. I think that the fame level of both of the brothers gives this show a more appealing componet because they now become accessible in a relatable way.