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ABC Apologizes for Intro to 'Monday Night Football'
ABC apologized Tuesday for a steamy intro to "Monday Night Football" after receiving complaints from viewers and the NFL.
The spot featured a naked Nicollette Sheridan jumping into the arms of Terrell Owens.
Before the Philadelphia-Dallas game, ABC showed Owens and Sheridan in an empty locker room in an attempt to spoof the network hit "Desperate Housewives." Sheridan, who stars in the show, was wearing only a towel and provocatively asked Owens to skip the game for her.
After she dropped her towel, he agreed to be late for the contest and hugged her. Then the shot panned out to two more stars of "Desperate Housewives," Teri Hatcher and Felicity Huffman, watching the scene unfold on a television and commenting on desperate women.
"We have heard from many of our viewers about last night's MNF opening segment and we agree that the placement was inappropriate," ABC said in a statement. "We apologize."
The NFL called the intro "inappropriate and unsuitable for our `Monday Night Football' audience."
"While ABC may have gained attention for one of its other shows, the NFL and its fans lost," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said.
The Eagles said they appreciated ABC apologizing for the segment.
"It is normal for teams to cooperate with ABC in the development of an opening for its broadcast," the team said. "After seeing the final piece, we wish it hadn't aired."
ABC has broadcast "Monday Night Football" with a 5-second delay this season, a precaution after Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction at February's Super Bowl.
At halftime of New England's win over Carolina in the Super Bowl, Justin Timberlake ripped off part of Jackson's brassiere, exposing her right breast to a TV audience of some 90 million. The Super Bowl was broadcast on CBS, which was subsequently fined a record $550,000 by the FCC.
Source: AP
The spot featured a naked Nicollette Sheridan jumping into the arms of Terrell Owens.
Before the Philadelphia-Dallas game, ABC showed Owens and Sheridan in an empty locker room in an attempt to spoof the network hit "Desperate Housewives." Sheridan, who stars in the show, was wearing only a towel and provocatively asked Owens to skip the game for her.
After she dropped her towel, he agreed to be late for the contest and hugged her. Then the shot panned out to two more stars of "Desperate Housewives," Teri Hatcher and Felicity Huffman, watching the scene unfold on a television and commenting on desperate women.
"We have heard from many of our viewers about last night's MNF opening segment and we agree that the placement was inappropriate," ABC said in a statement. "We apologize."
The NFL called the intro "inappropriate and unsuitable for our `Monday Night Football' audience."
"While ABC may have gained attention for one of its other shows, the NFL and its fans lost," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said.
The Eagles said they appreciated ABC apologizing for the segment.
"It is normal for teams to cooperate with ABC in the development of an opening for its broadcast," the team said. "After seeing the final piece, we wish it hadn't aired."
ABC has broadcast "Monday Night Football" with a 5-second delay this season, a precaution after Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction at February's Super Bowl.
At halftime of New England's win over Carolina in the Super Bowl, Justin Timberlake ripped off part of Jackson's brassiere, exposing her right breast to a TV audience of some 90 million. The Super Bowl was broadcast on CBS, which was subsequently fined a record $550,000 by the FCC.
Source: AP
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