Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) during warmups before the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Doubleheaders are typically reserved for baseball, but it's the NFL's turn in the spotlight on this Monday night.

Instead of two teams taking center stage for Week 2's grand finale, "Monday Night Football" features four teams and two games for fans to enjoy. It has become customary in recent seasons for the league to sprinkle in some extra Monday night action, but this one comes with a twist – exclusive windows for each game.

C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans will host Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to kick off the weeknight action at 7 p.m. ET, followed by Justin Herbert's Los Angeles Chargers visiting the new-look Las Vegas Raiders in the nightcap that kicks off at 10 p.m. ET.

It does beg the question – why are there two games?

Here's a look at the reason behind the scheduling quirk in Week 2.

Why are there two 'Monday Night Football' games this week?

When the NFL finalized its new broadcast agreements in 2021, it came with an added bonus for ESPN/Disney – the broadcast home of "Monday Night Football."

The new agreement gave ESPN and ABC the rights to broadcast 23 games per season starting in 2022. This is a six-game increase from the 17 games the Disney-owned networks could broadcast under the previous agreement.

With only 18 weeks in the season, it naturally meant that those extra games had to fit into the schedule somewhere.

There will be four instances of "Monday Night Football" doubleheaders in the regular season this year. The first begins in Week 2, with the others in Week 4, Week 6, and Week 7.

The doubleheader in Week 7 will be the only other instance that offers an exclusive window for each game.

How to watch 'Monday Night Football' in Week 2

  • Houston Texans vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 7 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN
  • Las Vegas Raiders vs. Los Angeles Chargers: 10 p.m. ET, ESPN

The Texans and Buccaneers game gets the evening started at 7 p.m. ET. All the action from Houston can be found on ABC and ESPN. The second half of the doubleheader continues from Vegas at 10 p.m. ET, but only on ESPN.

Fans looking to stream the action can find it on either ESPN's new direct-to-consumer streaming platform, ESPN Unlimited, or ESPN Select, which is a rebrand of the network's ESPN+ service.

Cord-cutters can also stream the game with Fubo, which comes with a free trial.

Watch NFL games live with Fubo (free trial)

Monday Night Football schedule 2025

  • Week 1 (Sept. 8): Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings, 8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN
  • Week 2 (Sept 15):
    • Houston Texans vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN
    • Las Vegas Raiders vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN
  • Week 3 (Sept. 22): Baltimore Ravens vs. Detroit Lions, 8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN
  • Week 4 (Sept. 29):
    • Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets, 7:15 p.m. ET, ESPN
    • Denver Broncos vs. Cincinnati Bengals, 8:15 p.m. ET, ABC
  • Week 5 (Oct. 6): Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN
  • Week 6 (Oct. 13):
    • Atlanta Falcons vs. Buffalo Bills, 7:15 p.m. ET, ESPN
    • Washington Commanders vs. Chicago Bears, 8:15 p.m. ET, ABC
  • Week 7 (Oct. 20):
    • Detroit Lions vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN
    • Seattle Seahawks vs. Houston Texans, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+
  • Week 8 (Oct. 27): Kansas City Chiefs vs. Washington Commanders, 8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN
  • Week 9 (Nov. 3): Dallas Cowboys vs. Arizona Cardinals, 8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN
  • Week 10 (Nov. 10): Green Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN
  • Week 11 (Nov. 17): Las Vegas Raiders vs. Dallas Cowboys, 8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN
  • Week 12 (Nov. 24): San Francisco 49ers vs. Carolina Panthers, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN
  • Week 13 (Dec. 1): New England Patriots vs. New York Giants, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN
  • Week 14 (Dec. 8): Los Angeles Chargers vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN
  • Week 15 (Dec. 15): Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Miami Dolphins, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN
  • Week 16 (Dec. 22): Indianapolis Colts vs. San Francisco 49ers, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN
  • Week 17 (Dec. 29): Atlanta Falcons vs. Los Angeles Rams, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN
  • Week 18 (Jan. 3):
    • TBD vs. TBD, 4:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN
    • TBD vs. TBD, 8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN
  • Wild Card Round (Jan. 12): TBD vs. TBD, 8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN
  • Divisional Round (Jan. 17 or 18): TBD vs. TBD, Time TBD, ABC/ESPN

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why are there two Monday Night Football games tonight? Time, channel, where to watch

Reporting by Nick Brinkerhoff, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect