For just the second time all season, overnight ratings increased for Monday Night Football.
Ravens/Patriots earned a 9.1 overnight rating on the Week 14 edition of ESPN’s Monday Night Football, up 5% from Giants/Dolphins last year (8.7) and up a tick from Falcons/Packers in 2014 (9.0). The 9.1 is the highest for MNF in Week 14 of the season since Cowboys/Bears three years ago (11.0).
The Patriots’ win, which peaked at a 10.5 from 9:30-9:45 PM ET, tied the highest NFL overnight of the season on ESPN — matching Giants/Vikings in Week 4 and Pittsburgh/Washington in Week 1. Last season, a 9.1 overnight would have ranked ninth.
Monday’s game was just the second on ESPN this season to avoid a year-over-year decline, and the third to avoid a multi-year low.
Despite the improved performance, the 9.1 overnight is the lowest for a Patriots game on Monday Night Football in five years — since their game against the Chiefs in Week 11 of the 2011 season (8.5).
ESPN’s telecast had an 11.5 rating in Baltimore and a 9.3 in Boston. Coverage was simulcast on local affiliates in both markets, earning a 22.7 on Baltimore NBC affiliate WBAL and a 22.9 and 2.5 respectively on Boston ABC affiliates WCVB and WMUR. Patriots secondary market Providnece chipped in a 22.6, with Norfolk (15.1) and Harford-New Haven (14.8) rounding out the top five.
(Mon. numbers from ESPN)
