The annual Monday Night Football doubleheader was not a particularly impressive draw.
The Week 1 Giants/Lions Monday Night Football game drew an 8.4 U.S. rating and 13.4 million viewers on ESPN, down 17% in ratings and viewership from Eagles/Washington last year (10.1, 16.5M) but up 20% and 26%, respectively, from Ravens/Bengals in 2012 (7.0, 10.9M).
Giants/Lions earned the second-lowest rating and viewership for the Monday Night Football opener since 2008, ahead of only 2012. With that said, the game ranks a respectable fifth out of the eighteen Week 1 games on ESPN since the network began airing MNF in 2006.
Among adults 18-49, ratings declined 21% from last year (6.6 to 5.2) but increased 11% over 2012 (4.7).
In the nightcap, Chargers/Cardinals drew a 7.1 and 11.5 million viewers — flat in ratings and up 5% in viewership from Texans/Chargers last year (7.1, 11.0M) and up 4% and 10%, respectively, from Chargers/Raiders in 2012 (6.8, 10.5M).
The game had a 5.1 rating in the adults 18-49 demo, up a tick from last year (5.0) and up 4% from 2012 (4.9).
(Mon. numbers from ESPN Media Zone)
