A low bar last year, and the Cowboys’ presence this year, led to a huge increase for ESPN’s Monday Night Football.
Cowboys-Cardinals scored an 8.2 rating and 13.7 million viewers on the Week 3 edition of MNF, up 67% in ratings and 70% in viewership from Falcons-Saints last year, which aired opposite a presidential debate and was the lowest rated MNF telecast ever at the time (4.9, 8.0M).
Compared to Chiefs-Packers in Week 3 two years ago, ratings fell a tick from 8.3 but viewership increased 1% from 13.5 million. It was the first NFL telecast thus far to post an increase over 2015.
The Cowboys’ win, which peaked at a 9.1 and 15.3 million from 10:30-10:45 PM ET, delivered the top MNF audience in Week 3 of the season since Raiders-Broncos in 2013 (13.9M). Including streaming viewership on WatchESPN and Spanish-language coverage on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, the game had 13.8 million.
Despite the big increase and multi-year high, Monday’s numbers were below what one would expect for a Cowboys game. It was the team’s lowest rated appearance on Monday Night Football since ESPN acquired rights in 2006 and the least-watched since a 2007 game against the Bills (13.0M).
The Cowboys’ lone MNF appearance last season, a Week 16 game with playoff implications, had a 10.1 and 18.6 million.
In the key young adult demographics, Monday’s game had a 5.1 rating in adults 18-49 (+65%), a 4.2 in adults 18-34 (+31%), and a 5.7 in adults 25-54 (+51%).
Locally, ESPN’s telecast had a 13.6 in Phoenix and a 9.2 rating in Dallas-Ft. Worth. As usual, coverage was simulcast on over-the-air affiliates in both markets, with a 19.8 on Dallas ABC affiliate WFAA and an 8.6 on independent Phoenix affiliate KUTP. Local affiliate viewership is not included in ESPN’s national results.
Outside of the participating markets, San Antonio led the way with a 20.9 rating, followed by Austin, Tex. (20.3), and Norfolk, Va. (15.1).
[Mon. numbers from ESPN]
