Despite their 5-9 record, but the Vikings’ sense of drama continues to attract big TV audiences.
Monday’s Bears/Vikings game drew a 9.9 U.S. rating and 17.094 million viewers on ESPN, up 36% in ratings and 51% in viewership from Week 15 last year (NYG/WSH: 7.3, 11.343 mil).
The Bears’ 26-point win ranks as the fifth-highest rated, fourth-most viewed Monday Night Football telecast of the season (sixteen telecasts).
The game ranks as the ninth-most viewed program in cable television history. Monday Night Football now accounts for thirteen of the fifteen most-viewed cable programs ever (including nine of the top ten), with five of those coming this season alone.
As is typical with the Vikings, Monday’s game likely benefited from some off-the-field circumstances. Not only was it the Vikings’ first outdoor home game in 29 years — necessitated after the roof of the team’s regular venue collapsed — but there was also uncertainty over whether QB Brett Favre would play.
Monday’s game was the top program of the night on broadcast or cable in households, viewership and the key adult and male demographics. Monday Night Football has been television’s top program of the night among adults 18-49 and 18-34 and men 18-49 and 18-34 each week this season.
Through Week 15, ESPN is averaging an 8.9 U.S. rating and 14.370 million viewers for Monday Night Football, flat in ratings and up 1% in viewership from last year (8.9, 14.202 mil).
