Football, Espn | featured news

Want to reach ultra conservatives? Advertise your message or candidate on ESPN’s college football regular season, NBC’s “Today with Kathie Lee & Hoda,” or ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.” Need to talk to Super Democrats? Say it on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report,” or NBC’s faux-latenight-show comedy “30 Rock.”

ESPN pulled Hank Williams Jr.'s classic intro song from its broadcast of Monday night's NFL game after the country singer famous for the line "Are you ready for some football?" used an analogy to Adolf Hitler in discussing President Barack Obama.

Indeed, Walt Disney Co.'s ESPN -- home to "Monday Night Football" -- extended its deal through 2021 for the franchise on Thursday morning. The new deal will cost ESPN an average of $1.9 billion per season, according to a person familiar with the deal. ESPN had been paying about $1.1 billion under its current deal.

It's time to get fired up for the 2011 NFL Draft. The first round of the draft starts tonight at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. Rounds two and three will resume on Friday at 6 p.m. ET and rounds four through seven will start on Saturday at noon.

ESPN broadcast of the NFL draft has drawn the most viewers ever.