The absence of Aaron Rodgers was a factor, but ESPN’s Monday Night Football ratings were subpar once again.
Lions-Packers had a 6.8 rating and 11.1 million viewers on ESPN Monday night, down a tick in ratings and 4% in viewership from Bills-Seahawks last year (6.9, 11.5M). ESPN’s figures now include streaming viewership on television. Comparisons are to last year’s TV+streaming audience.
The Lions’ win was the lowest rated and least-watched MNF game in Week 9 of the season since Ravens-Steelers in 2007 (6.4, 9.9M).
Dating back to last season, Monday Night Football ratings have now failed to crack the 7.0 mark 18 times in the past 27 telecasts — exceeding the previous eight seasons from 2008-15 combined (17).
ESPN’s telecast had a 10.8 rating in Milwaukee and a 9.3 in Detroit. Simulcast coverage aired on ABC affiliates in both markets, earning a 26.8 on WISN in Milwaukee and a 15.7 on WXYZ in Detroit. The over-the-air simulcasts do not factor into ESPN’s national numbers.
Minneapolis-St. Paul delivered the top neutral market rating (13.6), followed by New Orleans (11.9) and San Diego (10.2).
In the key young adult demographics, MNF fell 2% in adults 18-49 (from 3.81 to 3.75) and 5% in adults 25-54 (from 4.37 to 4.17), but increased 6% in adults 18-34 (from 3.00 to 3.18). Ratings in adults 50+ were nearly dead even, inching up from 4.94 to 4.95.
Despite this week’s decline, MNF viewership is up 4% so far this season (from 10.7M to 11.1M) — though that is primarily due to last year’s poor performance. Last season finished as the least-watched for MNF since 2007.
A complete list of 2017 NFL ratings is available here.
[Mon. numbers from ESPN]
