Mike Greenberg will be the new host of “Sunday NFL Countdown” as ESPN sets its lineup for the inaugural Super Bowl in 2027, according to a source briefed on the matter. work out On Tuesday.
Greenberg is still owed more than $1 million on a one-year contract, replacing Sam Ponder, who was fired last week. She will be paid the full amount, but ESPN has moved to clean up its books as its fiscal year ends in September.
But Ponder’s decision was also intended to promote Greenberg, a longtime favorite among ESPN executives. As host of TV’s daily “Get Up” and radio’s “Greeny,” Greenberg is already a household name at the network. Greenberg briefly served as an NBA anchor before handing that job off to Malika Andrews last season. He also hosts the NFL Draft for ESPN, a prestigious assignment.
Greenberg, 57, beat out Laura Rutledge, the network’s rising star, for the job. While she’s on the rise, this is the second time in the past year that Rutledge, the daily host of “NFL Live,” has ceded the job to a longtime ESPN anchor.
Just before last season, Scott Van Pelt was named the host of Monday Night Football’s “NFL Countdown” over Rutledge. Van Pelt’s Monday program also received a makeover, with Jason Kelce replacing the recently fired Robert Griffin III. Kelce joins analysts Marcus Spears and Ryan Clark on Mondays.
Greenberg’s main set on Sunday will feature Randy Moss, Teddy Bruski, Rex Ryan and Alex Smith. Also on board is Adam Schefter.
ESPN and ABC are set to host their first Super Bowl in 2027, and network executives are designing weekly broadcast sets for the biggest moment in their company’s history.
Must-read material
(Photo: Joe Murphy / NBAE via Getty Images)
