A nailbiter involving the Packers delivered ESPN’s top Week 6 NFL audience in four years.
Lions-Packers averaged a 7.9 rating and 13.34 million viewers on ESPN Monday night, marking the largest Week 6 Monday Night Football audience in four years (2015 Giants-Eagles: 13.90M).
Green Bay’s win, which peaked with 14.59 million viewers from 11-11:15 PM ET, also ranks as the most-watched MNF game of the season. The previous high was 13.08 million for Texans-Saints in Week 1.
Compared to last year’s Week 6 game, 49ers-Packers, ratings increased 10% (from 7.2) and viewership increased 12% (from 11.88M). Ratings and viewership jumped 52% and 59% respectively from Week 6 two years ago (Colts-Titans: 5.2, 8.38M).
Including viewership on ESPN Deportes, the game averaged 13.4 million.
ESPN is now averaging 11.90 million viewers for Monday Night Football (+3%). Five of the network’s seven games have posted an increase in ratings and/or viewership, with four of those five at multi-year highs.
ESPN’s telecast scored a 14.8 rating in Milwaukee and a 10.5 in Detroit. The game was simulcast on local ABC affiliates in both markets, earning a 33.3 on WISN in Milwaukee and an 18.8 on WXYZ in Detroit. The local simulcast ratings are not included in ESPN’s national results.
Minneapolis-St. Paul was Monday’s top neutral market, with a 14.7, followed by San Diego (12.2), Denver (11.4), Seattle (10.9) and Las Vegas (10.6).
UPDATED 10/15: Corrected rating from 7.0 to 7.9.
[Nielsen estimates from ESPN, Programming Insider 10.15]
