Awful Announcing
After months of discussion and a lot of uncertainty, the relaunch of NFL Network’s Good Morning Football has now officially been announced. Both the main show and the new syndicated Good Morning Football: Overtime will begin airing July 29. And the new cast for the show has been announced as well.
Both GMFB and GMFB: Overtime will be hosted by current hosts Jamie Erdahl (who took that role in 2022 after Kay Adams’ exit), Kyle Brandt, and Peter Schrager (both original members of the show since its 2016 launch), as well as two new figures. Those would be host Akbar Gbajabiamila and news reporter Sherree Burruss.
A former NFL defensive end, Gbajabiamila worked at NFLN from 2012-19, and is now rejoining the network. He comes in after spending three years on CBS’ The Talk and will also continue to host American Ninja Warrior on NBC, a role he’s held since 2013. He was one of the people reportedly considered for GMFB after Jason McCourty’s exit this spring, alongside Manti Te’o. Angela Ellis, NFL Media vice president of original content and entertainment, and the executive overseeing the Good Morning Football brand, said in a a NFL Communications release Monday, “We are thrilled to welcome Akbar back to NFL Network, with his unique experience on and off the field and spanning both sports and entertainment.”
Meanwhile, Burress joined NFLN last February after a run at CBS Sports. She’s relocating from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles for this role. And speaking of that relocation, that’s been one of the chief sources of uncertainty around GMFB, with many wondering who of the cast would go from New York to Los Angeles.
Erdahl confirmed early that she would make that move, while McCourty exited after deciding not to relocate. Brandt confirmed he’d return, but didn’t make it clear if he would be in Los Angeles or New York, while Schrager didn’t say much on this publicly. As per that release, Erdahl, Gbajabiamila, and Burruss will all be in Los Angeles full-time, with Schrager and Brandt splitting time between there and New York. Here’s the specific wording of that:
“With Erdahl based in Los Angeles, and Schrager and Brandt hosting from both Los Angeles and New York, Good Morning Football has the game covered from coast to coast, and everywhere in between.”
As per when and where this will air, GMFB proper will run from 8-10 a.m. Monday to Friday on NFL Network, with GMFB: Overtime running from 10 a.m. to noon. Monday also saw the news that GMFB: Overtime will stream for free on The Roku Channel beginning July 29, and will also begin airing in syndication on local broadcast stations beginning September 2. Here are some quotes on the GMFB relaunch and the GMFB: Overtime launch from that release:
“Not only are we bringing back a show that so many fans have woken up to and loved for years, we are giving it a state-of-the-art new home with even more resources and space for our talent to showcase their signature segments and fun takes on the game of football,” said Angela Ellis, NFL Media vice president of original content and entertainment, and the executive overseeing the “Good Morning Football” brand.
…“With ‘GMFB: Overtime,’ we have an incredible opportunity to introduce this unique and beloved brand to an entirely new audience in all 30 NFL markets and beyond,” said David Jurenka, senior vice president and general manager of NFL Media in Los Angeles. “We couldn’t be more excited for this expansion of the GMFB brand.”
“It is an honor to be the launch partner for ‘GMFB: Overtime,’ the perfect addition to our Roku Sports offering,” said Joe Franzetta, head of sports, Roku Media. “This is an exciting milestone in our evolving partnership with the NFL. We look forward to working with both Sony Pictures Television and the NFL to bring millions of fans free access to the latest in the NFL five days a week.”
“Partnering with the NFL is a dream come true,” said Flory Bramnick, executive vice president, distribution, Sony Pictures Television. “Opportunities like ‘GMFB: Overtime’ are special and rare, and I’m grateful to the NFL for entrusting us with this jewel. We are giving fans multiple ways to enjoy ‘GMFB: Overtime’ with every viewership opportunity available, from ‘rabbit ears’ to streaming. We’re excited for the show’s launch on Roku on July 29 and later this fall on local TV stations on Sept. 2.”
GMFB and GMFB: Overtime are produced by NFL Media. Bill Hentschel and Becky Orenstein will serve as the respective showrunners, with Michael Davies of Sony Pictures Television-backed Embassy Row (and Jeopardy!, and a Men In Blazers founder) serving as executive producer. The U.S. distribution for GMFB: Overtime will be handled by Sony Pictures Television, with CBS Media Ventures selling the national ad inventory.
It’s certainly positive to finally get some news on just when GMFB will relaunch and what that will look like. It’s notable to see Brandt and Schrager confirmed as sticking around, although it will be interesting to see how much they’re in Los Angeles (and how the show works when they’re in New York). It will also be worth keeping an eye on how Gbajabiamila, and Burruss fit into the show. And we now have more details on the syndicated version as well, including where it will stream and that it will be hosted by the same people. We’ll see how fans receive the new-look GMFB and the new GMFB: Overtime beginning July 29.
Andrew Bucholtz has been covering sports media for Awful Announcing since 2012. He is also a staff writer for The Comeback. His previous work includes time at Yahoo! Sports Canada and Black Press.
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Fox
You read that correctly.
“One of the worst national anthem renditions ever.”
Lalas continues to piss off the soccer world.
The film will focus on a former lineman who “finds unexpected fame and fortune in the world of brawny male modeling” after a career-ending injury.
Mayfield praised Schefter’s trustworthiness among media members.
Fox
You read that correctly.
