A match-up of marquee NFL franchises earned strong numbers on ESPN.
The Week 14 Cowboys/Bears “Monday Night Football” game drew a 10.2 U.S. rating and 16.2 million viewers on ESPN, up 13% in ratings and 12% in viewership from Texans/Patriots last year (9.0, 14.5M), and up 65% and 64%, respectively, from Rams/Seahawks in 2011 (6.2, 9.9M).
Cowboys/Bears ranks as the highest rated and second-most viewed NFL telecast of the season on ESPN. The only game to draw more viewers was Eagles/Washington in Week 1 (16.5M).
Including Bears/Packers in Week (10.1, 16.1M), the Bears have now played in two of ESPN’s top three games this season.
Despite the strong numbers, Monday’s game ranks as the lowest rated and least-viewed Cowboys telecast on ESPN since Panthers/Cowboys in 2009 (9.9, 15.7M). Last year’s Cowboys game, also against the Bears, drew a 10.5 and 16.6 million. ESPN typically gets only one Cowboys game per season.
Among adults 18-49, Monday’s game drew a 5.7 rating — up 4% from last year (5.5) and up 54% from 2011 (3.7).
(Week 14 finals from ESPN Media Zone, TV By the Numbers)
