Monday Night Football eked out an increase in ratings and viewership, but the numbers were again subpar.
Carolina/Washington scored a 6.8 final rating and 11.2 million viewers on the Week 15 edition of ESPN’s Monday Night Football, up a tick in ratings and 3% in viewership from Lions/Saints last year (6.7, 10.9M) and down 4% but up 1%, respectively, compared to Saints/Bears in 2014 (7.1, 11.1M).
The Panthers’ win, which peaked at an 8.2 and 13.7 million from 9:45-10 PM ET, was the most-watched Week 15 edition of MNF since Ravens/Lions in 2013 (14.2M) — marking just the second time this season that MNF has hit a multi-year high in either ratings or viewership. It was just the third game, albeit the third of the past four, to have a year-over-year increase in either measure.
Ratings also improved among adults 18-49, rising 6% (from 3.4 to 3.6).
The slight gains are in large part due to poor performances both last year and in 2014. Both Lions/Saints and Saints/Bears delivered the second-lowest rating and viewership of their respective seasons.
Compared to most other Monday night games prior to this season, the numbers were nothing to celebrate. Monday’s game marked the 11th time in 16 telecasts this season that MNF has fallen below a 7.0 rating, matching the previous five seasons combined. It was also the 11th telecast with fewer than 12 million viewers, surpassing the previous two seasons combined (nine).
(Mon. numbers from ESPN)
