Despite the presence of the Dallas Cowboys, ratings and viewership declined once again for ESPN’s Monday Night Football.
Monday’s Week 3 Washington/Cowboys game earned a 10.6 U.S. rating and 17.104 million viewers on ESPN, down 2% in ratings and viewership from last year (GB/CHI: 10.8, 17.454M), but up 7% and 9%, respectively, from 2009 (CAR/DAL: 9.9, 15.705M).
So far this season, ratings and viewership have dropped for all four Monday Night Football games.
Though down from last year, Monday’s game ranks as the twelfth most-viewed program in cable television history, behind eight other Monday Night Football telecasts, two Bowl Championship Series games, and a 2007 airing of High School Musical 2 on Disney Channel.
Locally, the Cowboys’ win earned a 36.4 rating in Dallas-Ft. Worth (20.4 on ESPN, 16.0 on local affiliate) and a 35.0 in Washington, D.C. (22.4 on ESPN, 12.6 on local affiliate).
So far this season, ESPN is averaging an 8.7 U.S. rating and 13.731 million viewers for NFL games, down 7% in ratings and 8% in viewership from the comparable point last year (9.4, 14.979M), and down 2% in both measures compared to 2009 (8.9, 14.044M).
This is the lowest average for Monday Night Football through Week 3 of the season since 2008 (8.3, 13.322M).
15 Most-Viewed Programs in Cable Television History
* U.S. rating unavailable for High School Musical 2
|
#
|
Date
|
Telecast
|
Net
|
U.S. Rating
|
Viewers (000)
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Mon., 1/10/11 | BCS: AUB 22, ORE 19 | ESPN |
15.3
|
27,316
|
|
2
|
Mon., 10/5/09 | MNF: GB 23, MIN 30 | ESPN |
13.2
|
21,839
|
|
3
|
Mon., 11/30/09 | MNF: NE 17, NO 38 | ESPN |
12.9
|
21,402
|
|
4
|
Sat., 1/1/11 | BCS: TCU 21, WISC 19 | ESPN |
11.3
|
20,558
|
|
5
|
Mon., 12/27/10 | MNF: NO 17, ATL 14 | ESPN |
11.2
|
19,137
|
|
6
|
Mon., 9/15/08 | MNF: PHI 37, DAL 41 | ESPN |
11.3
|
18,608
|
|
7
|
Mon., 10/25/10 | MNF: NYG 41, DAL 35 | ESPN |
11.2
|
17,953
|
|
8
|
Mon., 12/3/07 | MNF: NE 27, BAL 24 | ESPN |
11.1
|
17,522
|
|
9
|
Mon., 9/27/10 | MNF: GB 17, CHI 20 | ESPN |
10.8
|
17,454
|
|
10
|
Mon., 10/11/10 | MNF: MIN 20, NYJ 29 | ESPN |
10.7
|
17,313
|
|
11
|
Fri., 8/17/07 | "High School Musical 2" | Disney |
—
|
17,241
|
|
12
|
Mon., 9/26/11 | MNF: WSH 16, DAL 18 | ESPN |
10.6
|
17,104
|
|
13
|
Mon., 12/20/10 | MNF: CHI 40, MIN 14 | ESPN |
9.9
|
17,094
|
|
14
|
Mon., 12/28/09 | MNF: MIN 30, CHI 36 | ESPN |
10.4
|
17,006
|
|
15
|
Tue., 11/9/93 | "Larry King Live" | CNN |
11.9
|
16,837
|
