One week after hitting a season-high, ESPN’s Monday Night Football neared a season-low for the Colts’ blowout of the Giants.
The Week 9 Colts/Giants Monday Night Football game drew a 7.8 final rating and 12.4 million viewers on ESPN, down 23% in ratings and viewership from Bears/Packers last year (10.1, 16.1M) and down 5% and 4%, respectively, from Eagles/Saints in 2012 (8.2, 12.9M).
The Colts’ comfortable win earned the season’s second-lowest rating and viewership for MNF, ahead of only Chargers/Cardinals in Week 1 (7.1, 11.5M). The game also had the biggest year-over-year declines for MNF this season, topping the previous mark of 17% in both measures for Giants/Lions in Week 1. No other games have declined by double-digits.
Among adults 18-49, Colts/Giants drew a 4.3 rating — down 30% from last year (6.1) and down 16% from 2012 (5.1).
Monday’s poor performance was not enough to pull ESPN’s season-average back down below last year. ESPN has averaged an 8.6 rating and 13.8 million viewers for MNF through Week 9, up 1% in ratings and 4% in viewership from last year (8.5, 13.4M).
(Mon. numbers from ESPN)
