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ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown Will Be at Xfinity Live! This Weekend
By Russ Joy
Published:
For just the fourth time in the history of ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown, the show is going on the road. This Sunday, the three-hour NFL pregame show will come to the nation live from the stage at Xfinity Live! ahead of this weekend’s NFC East Clash between the Eagles and Cowboys.
An official statement from ESPN read as follows:
“With the playoffs on the line this week in Philadelphia, there is nowhere we would rather be on Sunday morning,” said Matthew Garrett, ESPN coordinating producer. “We have taken Countdown on the road to some of the NFL’s biggest matchups in recent years and this Cowboys-Eagles rivalry game certainly fits that bill. The passion of Eagles fans is extraordinary and we can’t wait to put it on display this Sunday at Xfinity Live!”
The show will be open to the public. Sam Ponder will host with analysts Tedy Bruschi, Matt Hasselbeck, Randy Moss, Rex Ryan, and Louis Riddick will all be present in Philly, while insiders Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter will be based out of ESPN’s Bristol, Connecticut studio.
Per ESPN, Countdown‘s first-ever regular season road show was back in 2016 and took place from Chapultepec Park in Mexico City ahead of Monday Night Football. In 2017, the show was aired out of Pittsburgh ahead of a clash with the Patriots that would determine the top seed in the AFC Playoffs, while 2018 saw a French Quarter-based show ahead of an undefeated LA Rams squad taking on the Saints.
How big of a deal is the show in the age of cord-cutting? Through 15 weeks, Countdown is averaging 1,325,000 viewers, which is up nine percent season-to-date.
Russ Joy hosts The Russ Joy Show, Snow The Goalie: A Flyers Podcast, and It's Just Wrestling Podcast. He's blogged about Philly sports on Crossing Broad since before the Eagles won a Super Bowl. A graduate of West Chester University of PA and California University of PA, Russ is also a husband and father of four. Follow him on Twitter: @JoyOnBroad