As will surprise no one, a matchup of 0-3 teams hit a ratings low on ESPN.
Bengals-Steelers averaged a 6.4 rating and 10.47 million viewers on the latest edition of ESPN’s Monday Night Football, marking the network’s lowest rated and least-watched Week 4 game since 2005 (49ers-Cardinals: 5.2, 7.74M).
The Steelers’ easy win, which peaked with 12.20 million viewers from 9:15-9:30 PM ET, declined 19% in ratings and 21% in viewership from last year (Chiefs-Broncos: 7.9, 13.21M) and 12% in both measures from 2017 (Washington-Kansas City: 7.3, 11.94M).
The game averaged 10.56 million including viewership on ESPN Deportes.
After opening the season with three straight increases, Monday Night Football has now hit multi-year lows in back-to-back weeks. For the season, MNF is now trending 1% below last year in average viewership (from 11.58M to 11.51M).
ESPN’s telecast averaged an 11.9 rating in Pittsburgh and a 10.2 in Cincinnati. The game was simulcast on broadcast affiliates in both markets, earning a 28.9 on Pittsburgh ABC affiliate WTAE and a 14.9 on Cincinnati NBC affiliate WLWT. The simulcast ratings are not factored into ESPN’s national audience.
Dayton, Ohio, led all markets for ESPN’s coverage with a 13.8 rating. Cleveland and New Orleans ranked second at a 13.3, followed by Pittsburgh and Columbus, Ohio (11.8).
MNF scored a season-low 3.45 rating in adults 18-49 (-25%), ESPN’s lowest in Week 4 since 2005 (3.1). Its 2.6 in adults 18-34 (-28%) was its lowest in Week 4 since at least 2000.
[Nielsen estimates from ESPN, Programming Insider 10.2]
