ESPN’s NFL preseason ratings fell by more than a quarter on Monday night.
Monday’s Ravens-Colts NFL preseason game earned a 1.7 rating and 2.66 million viewers on ESPN, down 26% in both measures from last year (Giants-Browns: 2.3, 3.57M). There was no comparable game in 2016.
Excluding games on NFL Network, the 1.7 rating is the fourth-lowest for any preseason game since 2004. ESPN has aired three of the four lowest rated games over that span, including Jets-Washington on Thursday and Buccaneers-Jaguars last year (1.6 for both).
MNF ranked just sixth for the night in adults 18-49 (0.8) behind ABC’s The Bachelor (1.3), USA’s WWE Raw (1.1), NBC’s American Ninja Warrior (1.0), MTV’s Video Music Awards (1.0) and VHI’s Love and Hip Hop Hollywood (1.0).
On Saturday, NFL Network posted mixed results for a rare quadrupleheader. Bengals-Cowboys led the way with a 1.0 and 1.6 million, but that was down 9% in ratings and 6% in viewership from last year (Colts-Cowboys: 1.1, 1.7M). Compared to Ravens-Colts in 2016, which aired opposite the Olympics, ratings increased 54% (from 0.7) and viewership 56% (from 1.0M).
The Seahawks-Chargers nightcap had a 0.7 (-13%) and 1.1 million (-15%).
In the afternoon, Raiders-Rams scored a 0.9 and 1.5 million — up 29% in ratings and 42% in viewership from last year (Panthers-Titans: 0.7, 1.0M) and up 29% and 41% respectively from 2016 (Giants-Bills: 0.7, 1.0M). It was just the third game of the preseason to post an increase in ratings.
Rounding out the action, Jaguars-Vikings had a 0.7 and 1.1 million. There was no comparable year-ago window.
Keep in mind NFL Network preseason games are blacked out in the local markets.
[Numbers from Programming Insider 8.21, ShowBuzz Daily 8.21]
