The 2023 Pro Bowl Games sees a new reimagined format with NFL Flag Football, NFL Skills Challenges, and a massive lineup of stars including Peyton and Eli Manning going head to head in the coaching box and Snoop Dogg and Pete Davidson as team captains, in a special two day event.
The 2023 Pro Bowl Games, featuring NFL stars participating in 7-on-7 Flag football for the first time and eight highly entertaining made-for-television skill competitions, will begin live Friday, February 3 (11am AEDT, ESPN2), and culminate Monday, February 6 (7am AEDT, ESPN) LIVE on ESPN and ESPN2.
Monday’s three Flag football games and four skills competitions, is the highlight of the new format, in a re-imagined event live from Las Vegas.
In addition to the sport’s biggest stars participating, the AFC team will be led by Peyton Manning (AFC head coach), Ray Lewis (AFC defensive coordinator) and Diana Flores (AFC offensive coordinator).
The NFC team will be led by Eli Manning (NFC head coach), DeMarcus Ware (NFC defensive coordinator) and Vanita Krouch (NFC offensive coordinator). Snoop Dogg (AFC) and Pete Davidson (NFC) will be the team captains.
ESPN will amplify the two-day, friendly-yet-serious competition with loose and comedic commentary highlighting the personalities and extraordinary talent of the NFL stars amplified by ESPN’s elite production and sound enhancements to maximize the viewers’ experience.
ESPN Emmy Award-winning analyst and NFL commentator Kirk Herbstreit will team with Pat McAfee, a two-time Pro Bowl player, ESPN analyst and host of The Pat McAfee Show, to provide a high-spirited, light-hearted call of the three 7-on-7 Flag football games at Allegiant Stadium.
Former Pro Bowl Player Robert Griffin III, former first round pick Marcus Spears and Laura Rutledge will be the voices of the skills competitions on both days.
Former Pro Bowl Player Ryan Clark and NFL veteran Dan Orlovsky will also be part of first day, with Clark as a roaming commentator and Orlovsky hosting the Longest Drive golf competition.
ESPN’s Production Elements to Emphasize Player Interaction, Personalities
ESPN’s imaginative production will provide gripping Flag football vantage points and technologies to further showcase the personalities of the NFL stars. Select players, as well as Peyton and Eli, will be mic’d up, interviews will be spontaneous and banter will be emphasized and encouraged. Visually, fans will be kept up-to-date on the scoring which will begin on Thursday and then carry into Sunday’s competition.
Football and Non-Football Skills Take Center Stage
The Pro Bowl Games begins Friday, live at 11am AEDT on ESPN2, with five skill challenges: Epic Pro Bowl Dodgeball (three games), multiple part Lightning Round, Longest Drive, Precision Passing and the first round of the Best Catch.
Pro Bowl NFL Skills challenges will also include: Best Catch Finale, Gridiron Gauntlet, Kick-Tac-Toe and Move The Chains competitions.
The Pro Bowl Games skills competitions will have cumulative scoring starting on Friday AEDT and leading up to the Flag football games on Monday AEDT. Scoring for The Pro Bowl Games works in the following way:
- The winning conference of each skill competition earns three points towards their team’s overall score, with 24 total points available across the eight skills events.
- The winning conference from each of the first two Flag football games on Monday will earn six points for their team, for a total of 12 available points.
Points from the skills competitions and first two Flag games will be added together and will be the score at the beginning of the third and final Flag game, which will determine the winning conference for The Pro Bowl Games.
In addition to coverage of The Pro Bowl Games, the show will continue its coverage leading into Super Bowl LVII.
To help program the week-long event, the NFL collaborated with its partners, including ESPN, Peyton Manning and Omaha Productions, and A. Smith & Co. Productions.
Super Bowl LVII is LIVE on ESPN, Monday February 13 at 10.30am AEDT.
2023 Pro Bowl Games on ESPN
Friday February 3
11am AEDT, 2023 Pro Bowl Games: Skills Showdown, ESPN2
Monday February 6
7am AEDT, 2023 Pro Bowl Games, ESPN
ESPN and ESPN2 are available via Foxtel, Kayo Sports, Fetch TV and Sky NZ.
Media Release – ESPN
