EXCLUSIVE: Mark Wahlberg is the latest Hollywood notable to be added to the guest list of ESPN’s Manningcast, the alternate telecast hosted by Peyton and Eli Manning.
The actor and producer will appear tonight, with former NFL quarterback Michael Vick and Iowa basketball standout Caitlin Clark also on the docket. The game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs is a rematch of last February’s Super Bowl.
Although Wahlberg’s loyalty to the New England Patriots remains intact, one of his acting credits makes him a logical person to weigh in on tonight’s contest. In the 2006 film Invincible, Wahlberg portrayed Vincent Papale, a real-life figure from Eagles lore. Papale became a local sports legend after managing the unlikely feat of winning a chance to play for the Eagles after impressing coaches at an open tryout in 1976.
This is the third season of Omaha Productions’ Manningcast. Tonight, it streams on ESPN+ in addition to airing on ESPN2. (The main game broadcast is on ABC and ESPN.) Three more dates remain on the slate of 10 Manningcasts, the last being a wild-card playoff game in early January. Since debuting in 2021, the telecast has featured guests including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Barack Obama, Will Ferrell, Jon Stewart, Condoleeza Rice, Lebron James and the Rock. A number of copycat alternate feeds of live games have popped up across linear TV and streaming in the wake of the show’s success.
Active NFL players have also become regular visitors to the Mannings. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes last week made an appearance, detailing the back story of his lone pair of lucky red game-day underwear, among other topics.