The numbers just keep dropping for Monday Night Football.
The Week 8 Vikings/Bears Monday Night Football game had a 7.2 overnight rating on ESPN, down 18% from Colts/Panthers last year (8.8) and down 40% from Washington/Dallas in 2014 (12.1). Per Sports Business Daily, the 7.2 is the lowest for MNF in Week 8 of the season since ESPN acquired rights (and by extension, in the history of the series).
All nine Monday Night Football games this season have hit multi-year lows in the metered markets, with five of those down double-digits from both last year and 2014.
The Bears’ upset win, which peaked at an 8.7 from 9:45-10 PM ET, was the sixth of nine MNF telecasts this season to have less than an 8.0 overnight. That matches the previous two seasons combined.
ESPN’s telecast had a 10.8 rating in Minneapolis-St. Paul and a 10.7 in Chicago. Coverage was simulcast on local broadcast affiliates in both markets, earning a 26.4 on Minneapolis CBS affiliate WCCO and a 6.7 on Chicago indepedent affiliate WCIU. Milwaukee led all neutral markets with a 12.1, followed by New Orleans and Norfolk, VA (10.6 in both).
(Mon. numbers from ESPN, with additional info from Sports Business Daily 11/1)
