After a rough Week 1 doubleheader, Monday Night Football ratings were not quite as bad in Week 2.
Seahawks-Bears scored a 7.0 rating and 11.72 million viewers in the Week 2 edition of ESPN’s Monday Night Football, down 5% in ratings and viewership from last year (Lions-Giants: 7.4, 12.3M) and down 4% and 3% respectively from 2016 (Eagles-Bears: 7.3, 12.1M).
The Bears’ win, which peaked at a 7.9 and 13.4 million from 9:15-9:30 PM ET, was ESPN’s lowest rated Week 2 NFL telecast since 2005 (6.9) and its least-watched since 2007 (11.63M).
Including the Spanish-langauge audience on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes (129K), the game had a combined audience of 11.8 million.
MNF scored a 4.0 rating in adults 18-49 (-7%), ESPN’s lowest Week 2 rating in the demo since 2001 (3.3). Ratings in adults 25-54 were also the lowest since 2001 (4.6, -6%), while the adults 18-34 demo turned in its lowest rating since at least 2000 (3.2, -9%).
The adults 50+ demographic held up best, falling just 3% from a 5.3 to a 5.1 — and clocking in ahead of 2016 (4.9).
Keep in mind MNF had to compete with the Primetime Emmy Awards for the first time. The Emmys generated 10.2 million viewers and a 2.4 rating in adults 18-49. Yet ESPN faced similar competition on the same night last year, with ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” posting 10.7 million and a 1.6 in the demo.
Despite the lower numbers, Bears-Seahawks was a considerably stronger draw than either of ESPN’s Week 1 games. Jets-Lions had a 6.2 rating and 10.3 million viewers, while Rams-Raiders drew a 5.9 and 9.6 million.
ESPN’s telecast had a 9.8 rating in Seattle and an 8.8 in Chicago. Local over-the-air simulcasts had a 21.3 on KIRO-CBS in Seattle and a 20.3 on WLS-ABC in Chicago. The simulcast audience is not included in ESPN’s national numbers. New Orleans was the top neutral market with a 15.2.
The full Week 2 NFL ratings chart is available here.
[Numbers from ESPN PR 9.18, Nielsen via ShowBuzz Daily 9.18]
