Peyton Manning and Rob Gronkowski were never teammates in the NFL, but they’re now joining forces in broadcasting.
Manning’s Omaha Productions, which produces the ManningCast alternate Monday Night Football commentary that he provides with his brother Eli, is now also producing an alternate UFC commentary called the GronkCast.
For Saturday night’s UFC fights, viewers who purchase the pay-per-view will have the option either of watching the fights with the standard commentary, or with Gronkowski and his family — brothers Chris, Dan, Glenn and Gordie Jr. and father Gordon — talking about the fights while interviewing guests.
“Our family is pumped to be able to team up with Peyton and his team at Omaha Productions to bring some fun and laughs into The Octagon,” the Gronkowski family said in a statement. “Get ready for some action-packed fun as we hang out as a family, share stories, and test out our UFC skills.”
ESPN’s decision to expand its relationship with Omaha Productions into other sports and beyond just Peyton and Eli is a strong indication that it considered the ManningCast a major success. Whether the Gronkowskis can be as popular with UFC fans as the Mannings are with NFL fans remains to be seen.