ESPN’s lowest rated Cowboys game in nearly 13 years still gave Monday Night Football its fourth multi-year high in five weeks.
Titans-Cowboys scored a 7.2 rating and 11.8 million viewers in the Week 9 edition of ESPN’s Monday Night Football, up 7% in ratings and 6% in viewership from last year (Lions-Packers: 6.8, 11.2M), and up 4% and 5% respectively from 2016 (Bills-Seahawks: 6.9, 11.3M).
Tennessee’s win, which peaked with an 8.0 and 13.1 million from 9:15-9:30 PM ET, was the highest rated Week 9 MNF game since 2015 (Bears-Chargers: 7.3) and the most-watched since 2014 (Giants-Colts: 12.4M).
At the same time, it was the lowest rated and least-watched Cowboys game ever on Monday Night Football — and the team’s lowest rated and least-watched game on ESPN in nearly 13 years. ESPN’s final Sunday Night Football game, Rams-Cowboys on New Year’s Day 2006, had a 6.0 and 9.07 million.
Compared to last year’s Cowboys game on MNF, against Arizona in Week 3, ratings fell 12% (from 8.2) and viewership 15% (from 13.8M).
In a rarity, the Cowboys’ annual MNF appearance did not set a season-high. Monday’s game tied for second in ratings and ranks just fourth in viewership out of the ten MNF games this season.
Though low by Cowboys standards, Monday’s game continued a positive trend for ESPN this season. Five of the last six Monday Night Football games have increased over last year. Four of the last five have hit multi-year highs.
MNF is now averaging 11.42 million viewers this season, up 3% from the same point last year.
Titans-Cowboys scored a 3.9 rating in adults 18-49, up a tick from both last year and 2016 (3.8), and the highest in Week 9 since 2015 (4.2). Ratings tied a three-year high in adults 18-34 (3.2, flat) and a four-year high in adults 25-54 (4.7. +12%).
ESPN’s telecast had a 9.2 rating in Nashville and an 8.6 in Dallas-Ft. Worth. Simulcast coverage on local ABC affiliates earned an 18.8 on Nashville’s WKRN and a 17.5 on WFAA in Dallas. ESPN’s national figures do not include local simulcasts.
Outside of the participating markets, San Antonio topped the charts with a 16.3, followed by Austin, Tex. (14.8). New Orleans was the top neutral market at a 14.0.
Ratings, Viewership, For Cowboys Games on Monday Night Football
[Numbers from ESPN PR, Nielsen via ShowBuzz Daily 11.6]
