Is ManningCast struggling? Report shows significant drop in seven-figure numbers

Peyton and Eli Manning's ManningCast was a breath of fresh air for viewers exhausted with conventional commentary that some believed was too serious, especially in low-stakes matchups. However, the experimental simulcast appears to be falling, according to a report from ProFootballTalk.

At the halfway point of the 2023 season, the program is averaging slightly more than 1 million viewers per football game. ManningCast received 1.028 million, 1.068 million, and 1.036 million views in its three most recent appearances. As per reports, views are declining and may slip under a million this season.

Peyton Manning's loyal Broncos fans might boost his ManningCast numbers during the upcoming Denver Broncos-Buffalo Bills game in Week 10, but the trend may continue to dip downward. In terms of percentages, the program has struggled to lure over one-tenth of every viewer watching Monday Night Football.

In Week 1, the ManningCast accounted for 6.7% of the total viewership. In Week 7, it dropped to 5.74%. In Week 9, it increased to 7.07%. The Mannings will be hoping that as the competitive importance of the matchups continues to dwindle as the best teams begin to draw away from the pack, the goofier, lighter viewing on ESPN2 will attract more viewers.

As the games become more predictable, it will fall on the commentators to work harder to sell the program. The format of the ManningCast is set up to bring in viewers via their guests, so the hope might be that they can increase the percentage as the season goes on.

Peyton Manning's Broncos in the last 18 months amid Manning's decline

Peyton Manning at Washington Commanders vs. Indianapolis Colts

According to Broncos Wire, the Walton-Penner group officially took over ownership last summer and was unanimously voted in by the NFL owners group. He paid $4.65 billion to the Bowlen family for the purchase.

In 2023, he watched Russell Wilson put on the biggest win of the franchise's history by beating Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs by 15 points.

With every win Russell Wilson logs, he comes closer to turning the page of the post-Peyton Manning era. As Denver has looked for their next long-term franchise quarterback, fans have lamented and remembered Manning fondly.

They may continue to do so, but the focus will have completely turned to living in the present instead of living in the past and hanging their hats on Super Bowl 50's win over Cam Newton.

However, Wilson's team could implode at any moment and put the franchise in the same hole it's been in since Manning's exit. The franchise is teetering on a resurgence right now, and if Denver moves on from the post-Manning era, No. 18 might be appreciated but ultimately left in the dust for most fans.