Two of the biggest names in the sport--"Monday Night Football" and John Madden--were paired in a blockbuster deal announced Thursday that reshapes the football broadcasting landscape and ends ABC's failed two-season experiment with comedian Dennis Miller.
Luring Madden from Fox to work alongside play-by-play announcer Al Michaels was followed by a wholesale shake-up at "Monday Night Football": Miller is out, along with commentator Dan Fouts and sideline reporter Eric Dickerson. The moves mark the network's latest attempt to restore the show to its former stature.
For ABC, Madden may be the key to turning around its ratings. While it remained the network's top-ranked program, ratings for "Monday Night Football" have steadily declined to their lowest in the show's 32-year history. The show averaged 16.8 million viewers a week for the most recent season, down from 18.5 million the year before and 19.4 million in 1999, before Miller arrived.
"There is only one John Madden and he's now part of ABC Sports," said Howard Katz, president of ABC Sports. "I expect the ratings are going to be affected positively."
The hiring of Madden comes as all the major networks face significant financial difficulties with the fees they are struggling to pay for costly sports rights. Several networks have written off massive financial losses on their investments--in ABC's case, a commitment to the NFL of $4.4 billion over eight years--made even more severe by a downturn in the advertising market and poor ratings.
Experts say the hiring of Madden, the former Oakland Raider coach widely considered the top football analyst for more than two decades, harks back to the show's heyday, when a larger-than-life personality named Howard Cosell ruled the booth.
"Madden certainly brings the cachet that is consistent with 'Monday Night Football's' image," said Jack MacKenzie, a senior vice president for the television research and consulting firm of Frank N. Magid Associates.
And though Madden may be 65, he already holds added appeal with younger audiences: The "Madden" line of video football games, wildly popular with boys and young men, is the second-largest source of licensing income for the National Football League, after apparel.
After retiring from the Raiders, Madden became even more famous as a broadcaster. His boom-boom, flamboyant broadcasting style and his Miller Lite and Ace Hardware commercials set him apart. He popularized the use of the telestrater, which lets a commentator mark up a screen to make a point.
His fear of flying and his preferred mode of transportation, a bus called the Maddencruiser that is equipped with a satellite dish and all the amenities of home, also make Madden unusual.
"Age is not the key factor in attracting young viewers. It's more about style, and Madden has a unique and energetic style that is attractive to younger viewers," MacKenzie said.
For Madden, the four-year, $20-million deal is a dream come true.
"This happened so quickly that I'm numb, but even in my numbness I realize just how lucky I am," Madden said. "Every broadcaster dreams of being a part of 'Monday Night Football,' and now I have that opportunity."
ABC was hoping to reverse sagging interest two years ago when it brought back former "Monday Night Football" producer Don Ohlmeyer, who, in turn, tried to appeal to a younger, hipper audience with the hiring of Miller.
Although ratings for the show declined in each of Miller's two years, the maneuver seemed justified by the massive amount of publicity and press coverage generated by his hiring. Web sites sprouted up to translate the comic's more obscure references, and critics weighed in, some with front-page reviews.
But more often than not, critics said, his presence in the booth served as a distraction and ultimately failed to improve ratings. Miller did not return phone calls seeking comment Thursday.
Whether an announcer alone can remedy the troubles of "Monday Night Football" or the decline of sports in general on TV, is doubtful, experts say.
Industry executives say a glut of sports on cable and broadcast television has reduced ratings across the board--and the prices advertisers have been willing to pay.
Prime time has changed dramatically since "Monday Night Football" was launched. Football in prime time was then a novelty. Today there are sporting events available nearly around the clock, with prime-time coverage of college football and basketball on multiple networks--including vintage games on ESPN Classic--as well as ESPN's night NFL games on Thursdays and Sundays.
The major networks have had difficulty making money on the eight-year, $18-billion contract with the NFL, particularly during the current advertising downturn.
