NFL Primetime NFL Primetime is a sports television program that has aired on ESPN since 1987 . The show is presented similarly to ESPN ' s own " SportsCenter " , featuring scores , highlights , and analysis of every game of the week in the NFL . History . Format ( 1987 – 2005 ) . Until the 2006 season , " Primetime " aired every Sunday night during the NFL season and it preceded ESPN ' s coverage of " Sunday Night Football " ( it even aired when ESPN did not have a Sunday Night game , especially from 1990 - 97 when TNT had Sunday night games the first half of the season ) . The show was hosted by Chris Berman , with analysis from Tom Jackson . Berman and Jackson recapped Sunday afternoon ' s NFL games with highlights , statistics , and commentary . Pete Axthelm was a regular from 1987 until his death in 1991 . Through the show ' s history , other co - hosts included John Saunders , Robin Roberts , Bill Pidto , and Stuart Scott . Pidto was often the target of good - natured ribbing by Berman , since Pidto often did recaps of games featuring losing teams . Roberts also seemed to be assigned to recap almost every game the Tampa Bay Buccaneers played between 1990 and 1992 , when the Bucs were fielding some of the worst teams in NFL history . The position of co - host was dropped prior to the start of the 1998 season . Rather than provide the usual package of scoring highlights , " NFL Primetime " presented extended highlights which also showed less dramatic plays . This provided context for the greater depth of analysis of each game . A staple of the show was the various FirstCom Music instrumental pieces that played in the background during the highlights , while Berman and Jackson recapped each game . This often gave the games , even in highlight form , a more epic feel overall . This feature continues during highlights on " The Blitz " . Format ( 2006 – present ) . When NBC acquired the rights for Sunday night games beginning in the 2006 season , NBC negotiated for exclusive rights for extended highlights during its " Football Night in America " pregame show . ESPN responded by moving the show to Mondays and splitting the program into two versions . ESPN shows " NFL Primetime " in its old format during the playoffs . Early showing . Originally , the first version aired two - and - a - half hours before ESPN ' s telecast of " Monday Night Football " , normally 6 p . m . Eastern time . It was hosted by Stuart Scott along with analysts Ron Jaworski and Mike Ditka and aired from the site of the Monday night game preceding " Monday Night Countdown " . ( The program broadcast from a parking lot set , in contrast to " Monday Night Countdown " , which takes place inside the stadium . When the package began with two Monday night games on September 11 , 2006 , " Primetime " aired from McAfee Coliseum in Oakland , California , while " Countdown " originated at FedExField in Landover , Maryland ) . Due to low ratings ( partially due to the repositioning of what was a Sunday evening staple ) , this early edition of " NFL Primetime " was relocated to the ESPN studios in Bristol , Connecticut every other week starting October 16 . In 2007 , this show gained a new time slot , 4 p . m . ET , switching with " SportsCenter Monday Kickoff " , all programs were moved to the Bristol studio , and the second version ' s hosts ( see below ) were also assigned to the earlier show . Scott was sent to a new remote set used by " Monday Night Countdown " . Late showing . The second version airs ninety minutes after " Monday Night Football " ends , and it originates from the ESPN studios . This edition is hosted by the " NFL Live " team of Trey Wingo and analysts Merril Hoge , and occasionally Mark Schlereth or Mike Ditka . In 2008 , Trent Dilfer joined as an analyst . In 2011 , Tim Hasselbeck replaced Dilfer . This is the only version of the show to actually be in primetime , albeit only on the West Coast at 10 : 00 p . m . PT or slightly later . This version re - airs Tuesday afternoons at 2 : 00 p . m . ET . Both versions show highlights , but for a shorter period of time than on the older program and with more extended analysis segments . The highlights on the current incarnation of " NFL Primetime " tend to be more story driven , emphasizing key player performances or game storylines as opposed to a normal recap that is found on " SportsCenter " . Both shows are presented by Miller Lite . On December 24 , 2011 during week 16 of the 2011 NFL season , ESPN aired Primetime in its classic timeslot and format , with Chris Berman and Tom Jackson recapping the action . This was due to the weekend ' s NFL games being played on Saturday of that weekend , and with the NBC contract running for Sunday ' s only , ESPN its first original Primetime in 6 years . " The Blitz " ( 2006 – present ) . Following the re - tooling of " NFL Primetime " , Chris Berman and Tom Jackson were given an extended segment of the Sunday night edition of " SportsCenter " ( 11 p . m . ET ) called " The Blitz " . The segment follows the same structure as the original version of " NFL Primetime " , featuring Berman and Jackson using the same player nicknames , catch phrases , and back - and - forth banter as the original show . On January 8 , 2007 , Chris Berman and Tom Jackson returned to " NFL Primetime " to present highlights of the 2006 NFL Playoffs games between the New York Jets and the New England Patriots and the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles , and they remained for the entire postseason that followed . ESPN has not used the NFL name or logo in the official segment name or in advertising , leading to unconfirmed rumors of not being given permission to do so by the league . In 2007 , however , on - screen graphics surrounding the set has referred to both " The Blitz " and " NFL Blitz . " Nike sponsored the segments in both years in 2006 and ' 07 ; it was replaced by Old Spice in 2008 . Early " SportsCenter " ( 2008 – present ) . In 2008 , an extended version of " The Blitz " has aired as part of " SportsCenter " from 7 to 8 or 8 : 15 p . m . ET . The hosts are Berman , Jackson , Saunders and Trent Dilfer . In addition to highlights , the network has extended additional game statistics , standings , and leaderboards on the right - hand portion of the screen . It is in direct competition to " Football Night in America " , although it is believed that " FNIA " still has the official advantage in percentage of the show devoted to highlights . Coincidentally , the revamp of " SportsCenter " came after NBC hired Dan Patrick to team with Keith Olbermann on " FNIA " highlights ; Patrick and Olbermann were the premier anchor team on that show in the 1990s .