It came close, but Monday’s Patriots/Saints matchup could not top Brett Favre‘s first game against his former team as the most-viewed program in cable history.
The undefeated Saints’ win against the Patriots on Monday night drew a 12.9/21 U.S. rating and 21.4 million viewers on ESPN, up 74% in ratings and 88% in viewership from Packers/Saints in Week 12 last year (7.4, 11.4 mil), and up 68% and 77%, respectively, from Titans/Texans last week (7.7, 12.1 mil).
Monday’s game stands as the second-most viewed program in cable television history, behind only Packers/Vikings on ESPN earlier this year (21.8 mil) — and well ahead of Eagles/Cowboys from September ’08 (18.6 mil), which had been the most-viewed cable program in history prior to this season.
Patriots/Saints topped Sunday Night Football on NBC (11.5, 19.2 mil), but finished behind Sunday’s national window on FOX (14.3, 23.6 mil).
NFL telecasts on ESPN now account for 8 of the 10 most-viewed programs in cable television history, including the top 3. This season alone, Monday Night Football has drawn 4 of the 10 top audiences in cable history.
For 14 years, a 1993 episode of Larry King Live had been the most-viewed program in cable history, with 16.8 million viewers. Since 2007, that number has been surpassed on 5 separate occasions — including 4 times by Monday Night Football.
Through Week 12, Monday Night Football is averaging a 9.1 U.S. rating and 14.6 million viewers on ESPN, up 18% and 20%, respectively, from a 7.7 and 12.2 million through the same point last year.
Most-viewed programs in cable television history
|
#
|
Date
|
Net | Game |
Viewers (000)
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Mon., 10/5/09 | ESPN | Packers/Vikings |
21,839
|
|
2
|
Mon., 11/30/09 | ESPN | Patriots/Saints |
21,402
|
|
3
|
Mon., 9/15/08 | ESPN | Eagles/Cowboys |
18,608
|
|
4
|
Mon., 12/3/07 | ESPN | Patriots/Ravens |
17,522
|
|
5
|
Fri., 8/17/07 | Disney | High School Musical 2 |
17,241
|
|
6
|
Tue., 11/9/93 | CNN | Larry King Live |
16,837
|
|
7
|
Sun., 12/25/94 | ESPN | Lions/Dolphins |
16,063
|
|
8
|
Mon., 10/23/06 | ESPN | Giants/Cowboys |
16,028
|
|
9
|
Mon., 11/9/09 | ESPN | Steelers/Broncos |
16,002
|
|
10
|
Mon., 9/28/09 | ESPN | Panthers/Cowboys |
15,705
|
(ESPN)
