Monday Night Football has a brand new sound, and it comes with a surprise guest. Chris Stapleton and drummer Cindy Blackman Santana are back for their fourth season reworking Phil Collins’“In the Air Tonight”for ESPN, and this year Ludacris jumps in with a verse. The spot opens with Stapleton and Blackman Santana arriving in a vehicle before Ludacris takes the mic, leading straight into the drum fill that football fans know by heart.
The original“In the Air Tonight”came out in 1981 and peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100. More than four decades later, it’s still the go-to anthem for Monday nights. ESPN’s Julie McGlone said adding Ludacris to the legacy anthem brings a new dimension to the creative. Country, rock, and hip-hop sharing one moment before kickoff is a pretty sweet deal for fans of all three.
This isn’t the first time a rapper has stepped into the MNF open. Snoop Dogg was featured in the 2023 version. The new segment runs all season long, leading into every Monday Night Football broadcast for the 2026 NFL season.
What do you think of the new Monday Night Football open? Is Ludacris the perfect addition, or do you want to see someone else in the mix next year? Let us know in the comments.
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Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
