Not surprisingly, a blowout between the Raiders and Broncos could not compare to last year’s infamous “Fail Mary” game.
The Week 3 Raiders/Broncos “Monday Night Football” game drew an 8.9 U.S. rating and 13.9 million viewers on ESPN, down 14% in ratings and viewership from Packers/Seahawks last year (10.3, 16.2M), and down 16% and 19%, respectively, from Washington/Cowboys in 2011 (10.6, 17.1M).
Last year’s game ended with a blown call by the NFL’s replacement officials.
Among adults 18-49, Monday’s game had a 5.6 rating — down 13% from last year (6.4), and down 22% from 2011 (7.2).
Locally, ESPN’s telecast earned a 15.7 rating in Denver and a 10.9 in the Bay Area. The game was simulcast on local affiliates in both markets, drawing a 28.7 on independent Denver affiliate KTVD and a mere 3.6 on Bay Area CW affiliate KBCW.
ESPN has averaged an 8.9 U.S. rating and 14.1 million viewers for “MNF” so far this season, up 3% in ratings and 5% in viewership from last year (8.6, 13.4M), up 2% in both measures from 2011 (8.7, 13.7M), and the top three-week average since 2010.
(Mon. numbers/3-week avg. from ESPN Media Zone; A18-49 number from The Futon Critic)
