Up is up, even if just by 1%.
Giants-Lions delivered a 7.4 rating and 12.3 million viewers on the Week 2 edition of ESPN’s Monday Night Football, up 1% in ratings and viewership from Eagles-Bears last year (7.3, 12.1M) but down 9% and 2% respectively from Jets-Colts in 2015 (8.1, 12.5M).
Including Spanish-language viewership on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes and the streaming audience on WatchESPN, the game had 12.7 million.
ESPN’s telecast, which peaked at an 8.6 and 14.5 million from 9:15-9:30 PM ET, surpasses only last year as the lowest rated Week 2 edition of MNF on record and the least-watched since 2011.
Despite the historically low numbers, the slight increase put Monday’s game in rare company — just the fourth of 13 NFL windows to post an increase this season.
Ratings actually dropped in all key young adult demographics — adults 18-49 (4.3, -4%), adults 18-34 (3.5, -10%), and adults 25-54 (4.9, -4%). By contrast, ratings increased 8% in adults 50+ (from 4.9 to 5.3).
On ESPN, the Lions’ win scored an 11.3 rating in Detroit and a 9.4 in New York City. As usual, coverage was simulcast on local affiliates in both markets, with a 17.4 on Detroit ABC affiliate WXYZ and a 5.4 on NYC’s Channel 11. The simulcasts are not factored into ESPN’s ratings.
New Orleans was the top neutral market with a 13.8 rating, followed by Norfolk, Va. (12.9) and Philadelphia. Miami-Ft. Lauderdale and Ft. Myers-Naples were not included in the results due to the lingering impact of Hurricane Irma.
[Numbers from ESPN, with additional info from ShowBuzz Daily 9.19]
