Favre attracts cable’s largest audience

Over 20 million viewers watched Brett Favre take on his former team on Monday night.

The Vikings’ win over the Packers drew a 13.2 U.S. rating (15.3 cable) and 21.8 million viewers on ESPN Monday night, up 76% and 85%, respectively, from Ravens/Steelers in Week 4 last year, and the most-viewed program in cable television history.

Vikings/Packers tops the previous record of 18.6 million for Eagles/Cowboys on ESPN last year.

This marks the third time that a Monday Night Football game on ESPN has drawn the largest audience in the history of cable television. The first occurrence came in 2007, when a Patriots/Ravens game drew 17.2 million viewers — topping what had been the longtime record holder, a 1993 NAFTA Debate on Larry King Live (16.8 mil).

To put the numbers in perspective, Packers/Vikings tops every single non-NFL sporting event of the year, with the lone exception of the BCS National Championship Game (26.8 million). No World Series or NBA Finals game in the past five years has drawn at least 21.8 million viewers, and the NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship Game has not drawn at least 21.8 million since ’05.

Monday Night Football was the most-viewed program on television on Monday night, topping broadcast fare such as Dancing with the Stars on ABC (16.4 mil) and House on FOX (13.7 mil). Vikings/Packers ranks as the most-viewed prime time television program — on broadcast or cable — since NBC drew 24.8 million for a Giants/Cowboys Sunday Night Football game on September 20.

Through Week 4, ESPN is averaging a 9.8 U.S. rating (11.4 cable) and 15.7 million viewers for Monday Night Football, up 21% in ratings and 24% in viewers from the same point last year.

8 most viewed programs in cable television history