Monday Night Football saw yet another increase in ratings, but still drew its second-lowest numbers of the season.
Monday’s Falcons/Saints game drew a 7.7/13 U.S. rating and 12.4 million viewers on ESPN, up 6% and 7%, respectively, from a 7.3/11 and 11.6 million for Colts/Titans during Week 8 last year.
Despite the increase, this marks the fourth straight week that ratings for Monday Night Football have dropped from the previous week.
Additionally, Falcons/Saints is the second-lowest rated and second-least viewed Monday night telecast of the season, ahead of only a 7.6 and 11.9 million viewers for Chargers/Raiders in Week 1 — which began after 10 PM ET.
Falcons/Saints was outdrawn by 38% in ratings and viewership by Game 5 of the Yankees/Phillies World Series on FOX (10.6/16, 17.1 mil). However, in the key adults 18-49 demographic, the gap was much smaller — Yankees/Phillies drew a 5.3/14 rating in the demo, while Falcons/Saints drew a 5.1/14.
Through Week 8, ESPN is averaging a 9.0 U.S. rating and 14.4 million viewers for Monday Night Football, up 17% in ratings and 18% in viewership from last year.
Ratings/viewership for Monday Night Football through Week 8
| Date | Game | Net | Rating | vs. ’08 | Viewers | vs. ’08 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon., 9/14/09 | Patriots/Bills | ESPN |
8.9
|
13%
|
14.0 mil
|
12%
|
| Chargers/Raiders | ESPN |
7.6
|
23%
|
11.9 mil
|
24%
|
|
| Mon., 9/21/09 | Colts/Dolphins | ESPN |
9.4
|
-17%
|
14.7 mil
|
-21%
|
| Mon., 9/28/09 | Panthers/Cowboys | ESPN |
9.9
|
30%
|
15.7 mil
|
32%
|
| Mon., 10/5/09 | Packers/Vikings | ESPN |
13.2
|
76%
|
21.8 mil
|
85%
|
| Mon., 10/12/09 | Jets/Dolphins | ESPN |
8.4
|
18%
|
13.1 mil
|
20%
|
| Mon., 10/19/09 | Chargers/Broncos | ESPN |
8.3
|
15%
|
13.5 mil
|
18%
|
| Mon., 10/26/09 | Eagles/Washington | ESPN |
8.1
|
16%
|
12.8 mil
|
18%
|
| Mon., 11/2/09 | Falcons/Saints | ESPN |
7.7
|
6%
|
12.4 mil
|
7%
|
Source: TV By the Numbers
