For the second straight week, Monday Night Football turned in a soft performance on ESPN.
The Week 3 Chiefs/Packers Monday Night Football game drew an 8.9 overnight rating on ESPN, down 3% from Bears/Jets last year (9.2), down 14% from Raiders/Broncos in 2013 (10.3) and the lowest Week 3 MNF overnight since at least 2008.
The 8.9 is also the lowest for any NFL telecast this season (19 telecasts). ESPN’s four telecasts have been the four lowest rated in the metered markets, with the caveat that every other NFL window has aired on a broadcast network.
The Packers’ win was the fourth NFL telecast to decline in Week 3, compared to three in the first two weeks combined. It was just the second of the season’s ten primetime telecasts to decline.
ESPN’s telecast drew a 13.1 rating in Milwaukee and a 10.6 in Kansas City. The game was simulcast on local affiliates in both markets, earning a 34.5 on Milwaukee ABC affiliate WISN and a 19.4 on Kansas City ABC affiliate KMBC. Las Vegas (15.1) was the top neutral market, with Denver (14.4) and San Diego (13.3) rounding out the top five.
(Mon. numbers from ESPN)
