Even in the preseason, the NFL is drawing ratings would be considered stellar for just about any other sport.
Monday’s Vikings/Texans game, Brett Favre‘s second game with the Vikings, drew a 5.2 U.S. rating and 7.9 million viewers on ESPN. This marks the most-viewed NFL preseason game in ESPN’s 30-year history.
Vikings/Texans was the #1 program of the night — on broadcast or cable — in households, viewers, adults 18-49 and adults 18-34. Additionally, the game ranks as the third-highest rated and sixth-most viewed program of the year on ESPN.
Monday’s game drew numbers on par with the NBA Conference Finals and MLB League Championship Series. The ’09 NBA Conference Finals averaged a 5.3 U.S. rating and 8.6 million viewers on ESPN and TNT, while the ’08 MLB League Championship Series averaged a 4.7 U.S. rating and 6.7 million viewers on TBS and FOX. Additionally, Vikings/Texans drew more viewers than all but one of last season’s college football bowl games, excluding the BCS.
Overall, ESPN’s four NFL preseason games averaged a 3.7 U.S. rating and 5.5 million viewers, up 42% in ratings and 44% in viewers from a 2.6 and 3.8 million last year, and the most-viewed NFL preseason ever on the network.
