Ratings and viewership dropped by double-digits for the season finale of ESPN’s Monday Night Football.
The Week 16 Falcons/Saints Monday Night Football game earned a 9.2 U.S. rating and 15.638 million viewers on ESPN, down 18% in ratings and viewership from the same matchup in Week 16 last year (NO/ATL: 11.2, 19.137M), and down 12% and 8%, respectively, from Week 16 in 2009 (MIN/CHI: 10.4, 17.006M).
Though down from last year, the game was the top program of the night on broadcast and cable in households, P2+ viewership, and the key adult and male demographics (including adults 18-49). Of course, there was limited competition due to the Christmas holiday.
For the season, ESPN averaged an 8.4 U.S. rating and 13.252 million viewers for Monday Night Football, down 8% in ratings and 10% in viewership from last season (9.1, 14.657M), and down 7% and 8%, respectively, from the 2009-10 season (9.0, 14.382M).
This marks the lowest rated and least-viewed season of Monday Night Football since the 2008-09 season (7.6, 11.962M).
Of the seventeen Monday Night Football games on ESPN this season, eleven had declines in ratings and twelve had declines in viewership.
(Monday’s numbers and season averages from espnmediazone3.com)
