A new yellow graphic on Monday Night Football had football fans seeing red, and ESPN was able to pivot in a hurry.
During Monday’s game between the Texans and Saints in New Orleans, The Worldwide Leader debuted a neon yellow down-and-distance marker in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen which many found to be confusing.
The NFL graphics revamp by ESPN’s Creative Services team includes a new #MNF dashboard this season. A notable addition is the neon yellow “venom” color. Great work by @coolhand20 and company. pic.twitter.com/AwjVWfrG2O
— bill hofheimer (@bhofheimer_espn) September 9, 2019
Viewers immediately took to Twitter to complain about the graphic because, being bright yellow, it had everyone thinking there was a penalty on a play when there wasn’t.
ESPN needs to change the yellow graphic on the bottom right of the screen. I keep thinking it’s a flag. Whose idea was this?
— Landry Locker (@LandryLocker) September 9, 2019
Why doesn’t ESPN stick to the red graphics? The yellow is god awful and makes me think there’s a flag on every play.
— Jesse Finver (@JfinverSports12) September 9, 2019
To the network’s credit, ESPN took the real-time criticism in stride and changed the graphic by the time the second half started.
Breaking: ESPN is switching away from the new Down-And-Distance graphic it debuted in the first half of Monday Night Football. ESPN heard the fans’ feedback and acted, quick.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 10, 2019
Our ESPN production team is aware of the feedback on the #MNF down and distance graphic. We have called an audible and adjusted for the 2nd half of #HOUvsNO and for the #DENvsOAK game to follow. New look pictured here. pic.twitter.com/SWLKKuW87w
— bill hofheimer (@bhofheimer_espn) September 10, 2019
That was a smart move because keeping the annoying graphic up could have overshadowed what was otherwise a great product and the best primetime game of the week by far.
The Saints ended up winning 30-28 on a last-second field goal by place-kicker Will Lutz from 58 yards out.
WILL LUTZ 58 YARDS CALLS GAME💪
What a crazy ending pic.twitter.com/OQMcSuCeuc— BettorIQ (@BettorIQ) September 10, 2019
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