Monday Night football is more than a game for disney in NFL rights scramble

In a crucial moment for any TV network that wants to stay in the business of broadcasting NFL football games, ESPN this evening is calling in some big guns.

Before kickoff on tonight’s “Monday Night Football,” the sports-media giant will feature an opening segment designed with help from colleagues at Disney sibling Marvel. The montage looks similar to the opening of one of the studio’s super-hero blockbusters. Viewers will hear narration from Samuel L. Jackson, the actor who plays Nick Fury and has enjoyed a continuing presence in Marvel’s popular films. They will see players from tonight’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens depicted as if they were superheroes from one of Marvel’s colorful comic books. And then they will hear “Heavy Action,” the theme that has been have been an audio hallmark of the program since its tenure on ABC.