ESPN earned impressive numbers for the first “Monday Night Football” game of the season.
The Week 1 Eagles/Washington “Monday Night Football” game drew a 10.1 U.S. rating and 16.5 million viewers on ESPN, up 44% in ratings and 52% in viewership from Ravens/Bengals last year (7.0, 10.9M), and up 11% and 13%, respectively, from Patriots/Dolphins in 2011 (9.1, 14.6M).
The game ranks as the highest rated and most-viewed Week 1 “MNF” telecast on ESPN since the network acquired rights in 2006.
Overall, it ranks as the 16th-most viewed Monday night telecast on ESPN.
The second half of the doubleheader did not perform nearly as well. Monday’s Texans/Chargers nightcap earned a 7.1 U.S. rating and 11.0 million viewers, up 4% in ratings and 5% in viewership from Chargers/Raiders last year (6.8, 10.5M), and flat and down 1%, respectively, from Raiders/Broncos in 2011 (7.1, 11.1M).
Texans/Chargers ranks as the fifth-least viewed Week 1 game on ESPN since the net acquired Monday night rights (16 telecasts).
(Mon. numbers from ESPN Media Zone)
