For the first time in two months, Monday Night Football had an increase in overnight ratings.
The Week 16 Broncos/Bengals Monday Night Football game drew a 10.4 overnight rating on ESPN, up 22% from Falcons/49ers last year (8.5), up 58% from Falcons/Lions on a Saturday night in 2012 (6.6), and the top MNF finale since Saints/Falcons in 2010 (12.1).
The 10.4 overnight is the second-highest of the season for Monday Night Football, trailing only Washington/Cowboys in Week 8 (12.1). Those were the only two MNF telecasts to earn a double-digit overnight this season, compared to seven such telecasts last year and six in 2012.
The 22% increase was just the fourth of the season, and the first since Week 8 — snapping a seven-week streak of declines.
Locally, the ESPN telecast drew an 18.5 in Denver and a 13.3 in Cincinnati. The game was simulcast on local affiliates in both markets, earning a 21.4 on Denver independent affiliate KTVD and a 27.5 on Cincinnati NBC affiliate WLWT.
(Mon. numbers from ESPN)
