Yes—Monday Night Football regularly started at 9 p.m. Eastern Time for decades. That was the familiar kickoff time during much of its run on ABC, before the schedule shifted earlier.
The key is to separate the game’s kickoff from the time a broadcast or pregame show began. This article explains when the 9 p.m. start was standard, what changed after the broadcast moved to ESPN, and what time fans should expect now. It also clears up why the same game can appear to start at different hours depending on your time zone.
Did monday night football ever start at 9pm?
Yes. A 9 p.m. Eastern kickoff was the standard for many years when ABC aired Monday Night Football. The series began in 1970, and its Monday games became closely associated with that late-evening start. For viewers in the Eastern and Central time zones, it meant settling in for football after the evening news or dinner.
The time refers to the scheduled start of the game in the Eastern time zone, not necessarily the moment a viewer saw the first broadcast image. A network could air a preview, opening sequence, or other coverage before kickoff. The exact first snap might also come a few minutes after the listed time because teams complete pregame introductions and officials conduct the opening coin toss.
So if someone remembers Monday night football beginning at 9, that memory is accurate. It describes the long-running ABC-era schedule, rather than the usual kickoff time today.
Why the 9 p.m. kickoff became familiar
When Monday Night Football launched in 1970, the late start helped make the game a distinct prime-time event. The schedule gave people a regular weekday night to watch a nationally televised NFL game. It also created a familiar routine: the game began late, often continued well into the night, and became part of the next morning’s conversation.
The time was listed in Eastern Time, the reference zone used for national NFL schedules. That matters because the same kickoff was earlier on the clock for viewers farther west. A 9 p.m. Eastern start was 8 p.m. Central, 7 p.m. Mountain, and 6 p.m. Pacific, subject to local daylight-saving time conventions.
That time-zone difference can make old schedule listings seem inconsistent. One source might show 9 p.m., while a local newspaper or television guide in another region lists 6, 7, or 8 p.m. Those listings can all describe the same game.
How Monday Night Football start times changed
The schedule did not remain at 9 p.m. Eastern forever. The main shift came when Monday Night Football moved from ABC to ESPN in 2006. The regular game was moved to an earlier evening slot, generally around 8:30 p.m. Eastern. The change made it easier for viewers in the Eastern time zone to watch more of the game before going to bed.
Later, the standard kickoff moved earlier again. In 2020, the usual start shifted to 8:15 p.m. Eastern. That is the typical scheduled kickoff time in current seasons, though a particular game can have a different time for scheduling or broadcast reasons.
During the ESPN era, the opening week has also featured a doubleheader on some seasons. In that format, the first game begins earlier and the second begins later than the regular Monday game. The late game can start around 10 p.m. Eastern, so a viewer who remembers a very late kickoff may be recalling a doubleheader rather than the old 9 p.m. standard.
| Era or listing | Typical Eastern time | What it means | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long-running ABC schedule | 9 p.m. | The familiar late kickoff used for many years | Explaining older memories and schedules |
| Early ESPN schedule | About 8:30 p.m. | The regular game moved earlier after the 2006 broadcast change | Understanding the first major timing shift |
| Usual modern schedule | About 8:15 p.m. | The common kickoff time in recent seasons | Planning for a typical Monday game |
| Opening-week doubleheader, late game | Often around 10 p.m. | A second game follows an earlier Monday contest | Making sense of unusually late listings |
These are broad schedule patterns, not a promise that every game in a given period began at precisely the same minute. Special broadcasts, doubleheaders, game locations, and league scheduling can affect the published time. For a specific matchup, the listing for that game is the most useful guide.
Kickoff time versus TV coverage time
One common source of confusion is treating “the broadcast starts” and “kickoff” as interchangeable. A television listing may show when the network’s program begins, while a schedule or game preview may give the expected kickoff. Those can differ by several minutes, or longer if the listing includes pregame coverage.
The reverse can happen, too: a viewer tunes in at the listed kickoff and sees introductions, a ceremony, or the coin toss before the ball is kicked. NFL broadcasts do not always begin the action at the exact minute printed in a general TV guide. That small delay does not mean the published start time was wrong.
When checking an old broadcast, look for wording such as “game time,” “kickoff,” or “coverage begins.” A schedule stating 9 p.m. Eastern usually points to the game’s scheduled start, while a television guide may describe the beginning of the program. If a source does not specify which one it means, the distinction may explain a discrepancy.
What time does Monday Night Football start now?
The typical current kickoff is 8:15 p.m. Eastern Time. That means a game is commonly scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Central, 6:15 p.m. Mountain, and 5:15 p.m. Pacific. These conversions are useful for planning, but the game’s official listing should take priority if the matchup has a special time.
For the viewer, the network’s pregame coverage may start before kickoff. A listing that shows the program at 8 p.m. does not necessarily mean the game is scheduled to kick off at 8. Check whether the listing labels the time as the program start or the game start.
Monday games can also be moved or assigned different times as the NFL builds its schedule. A season-opening doubleheader, a holiday-related game, or another special arrangement may not follow the standard 8:15 p.m. pattern. The time printed for the specific game is more reliable than assuming every Monday contest has the same start.
Why time zones make old listings look different
National schedules commonly use Eastern Time, but local television guides display the time for their own market. A game listed at 9 p.m. Eastern appears at 8 p.m. Central and 6 p.m. Pacific. The kickoff itself is simultaneous nationwide; only the local clock reading changes.
Daylight saving time can add another wrinkle when comparing schedules from different dates or eras. The United States does not change clocks on the same date every year, and older records may label a time as Eastern Standard Time or Eastern Daylight Time. For ordinary viewing, this does not change the conversion across U.S. time zones, but it can complicate comparisons with international listings or old archives.
Use this quick method to read a schedule:
- Check the time zone. If the listing says Eastern, do not assume it is local time.
- Identify the event time. Determine whether the listing means kickoff or broadcast coverage.
- Convert to your local zone. Eastern is one hour ahead of Central, two hours ahead of Mountain, and three hours ahead of Pacific.
- Confirm the individual game. Special schedules and doubleheaders can differ from the regular slot.
For example, a historical listing for a 9 p.m. Eastern game would correspond to a 6 p.m. Pacific kickoff. A fan on the West Coast might remember an early-evening game while a fan on the East Coast remembers watching until late at night. Neither memory conflicts with the other.
Why the NFL moved the regular game earlier
An earlier kickoff gives fans in the Eastern time zone a better chance of watching without staying up as late. Monday games still run for several hours, so a start at 9 p.m. could push the finish well past midnight. Moving the standard game to an earlier slot makes the broadcast more practical for viewers who have work, school, or other responsibilities the next morning.
Earlier starts also fit the way modern sports broadcasts are scheduled. Networks build pregame programs, analysis, and other coverage around the live game. The game itself has not become a shorter event simply because the start time moved forward; the main difference is when viewers need to tune in.
That does not mean the old schedule was a mistake. A 9 p.m. kickoff helped give Monday Night Football a distinct identity during its ABC years. The change reflects a different balance between prime-time programming and the late finish that a night game can create.
Common reasons a game may start later or earlier
Even when a usual time is well established, not every Monday game follows it. A few factors can make one listing look unusual:
- A doubleheader: The late game begins after an earlier game, so it can be scheduled much later than the regular single-game slot.
- A special schedule: The league can assign a different kickoff time for a particular date or broadcast arrangement.
- A time-zone mismatch: A local listing may show a different clock time from a national schedule.
- Pregame coverage: The TV program can begin before the scheduled kickoff.
- A delay on game day: Weather, a preceding broadcast, or another disruption can affect when the action begins.
Be careful not to use an unusual game as proof of the regular schedule. A late doubleheader game, for example, does not show that all Monday games typically began at that hour. Compare the date, network, and game slot before drawing conclusions from one schedule.
How to verify a particular Monday game time
If you are checking a specific season, start with a dated schedule rather than relying on a general description of the era. Search results and archived listings can mix local time with Eastern Time, or give the network’s coverage start instead of kickoff. Those details matter if you are trying to establish the exact time for one game.
- Find the game date and teams. This helps separate the matchup from other games on the same Monday.
- Check the listed time zone. Look for ET, Eastern, local time, or another time-zone label.
- Read the surrounding description. “Pregame coverage,” “telecast,” and “kickoff” may refer to different moments.
- Check whether it was a doubleheader. Opening-week schedules can include two games with separate start times.
- Compare more than one reliable record. A newspaper TV grid and an NFL schedule may show different parts of the broadcast window.
A useful point that often gets missed: the first televised segment is not always the start of the game. If a historical program is listed at 8 p.m. but the game was scheduled for 9, the listing may include an hour of coverage rather than contradicting the familiar kickoff time.
How to interpret a memory of a 9 p.m. game
If you remember Monday Night Football starting at 9, the most likely explanation is that you are remembering the traditional ABC-era kickoff in Eastern Time. If your memory comes from a later season, check whether the time was local, whether it referred to a broadcast rather than the kickoff, or whether the game was part of an opening-week doubleheader.
Also consider what “start” meant in the conversation. Someone may mean when they turned on the television, when the announcers began, when the players took the field, or when the opening kickoff occurred. Those moments are close together in casual conversation, but they are not always identical in a schedule.
The simplest answer is therefore yes, but with a time-zone and era attached: 9 p.m. Eastern was a long-standing scheduled start, not the usual modern kickoff and not necessarily the time every viewer saw the program begin. For an individual game, the date-specific listing clears up the remaining details.
Yes, did monday night football ever start at 9pm? It did: 9 p.m. Eastern was the familiar kickoff for many years on ABC. The regular start later moved earlier, and 8:15 p.m. Eastern is the typical modern kickoff.
To check a particular game, confirm its time zone and whether the listing means kickoff or broadcast coverage. Then look for a doubleheader or special schedule before comparing it with the usual Monday slot.