Season-Best 11.4 Rating and 18.8 Million Viewers Helps ESPN Win the Night

Seventh Most-Viewed Telecast in Cable History among Households, Ninth among Viewers

Most-Watched MNF Game on ESPN Deportes in 2014

Most-Watched MNF Game ever on WatchESPN

Last night’s Monday Night Football game – a Washington Redskins’ 20-17 upset victory over the Dallas Cowboys in overtime – delivered ESPN’s highest-rated and most-viewed MNF telecast since 2009. The game ranked as the top telecast of the night across cable and broadcast in viewers, households and all key male and adult demos, helping ESPN win the night among all networks in those same categories.

The game averaged a season-high 11.4 household US rating; 13,313,000 households; and 18,809,000 viewers (P2+), according to Nielsen. It peaked from 11:30-11:45 p.m. with a 13.6 rating and 22,485,000 viewers.

Redskins-Cowboys is the highest-rated MNF game since the New Orleans Saints-New England Patriots telecast on Nov. 30, 2009 (12.9 household rating) and the most-viewed game since the New Orleans-Atlanta Falcons game on Dec. 27, 2010 (19,137,000 viewers). Overall, the game is now the seventh most-viewed telecast in cable history among households and the ninth most-viewed among viewers (P2+), excluding breaking news. (Note: ESPN MNF and BCS Championship college football games occupy the entire top-10 in both categories. See below.)

In Washington, D.C., the game delivered a 17.8 rating on ESPN and a 12.6 on WDCA-IND, for a combined 30.4 rating in the market. In Dallas, the game delivered a 14.0 rating on ESPN and a 22.6 on WFAA-ABC, for a combined 36.6 rating in the market.

The top 10 metered markets (in addition to those of the competing teams) included: Richmond (24.7), San Antonio (24.5), Norfolk (20.2), Austin (19.3), Las Vegas (18.9), New Orleans (18.0), Baltimore (16.9), San Diego (16.7), Albuquerque (16.1) and Houston (15.9).

Through the first eight weeks (nine games), ESPN’s Monday Night Football is averaging an 8.6 household US rating; 10,047,000 households; and 13,988,000 viewers, increases of four percent (8.3 rating), five percent (9,585,000 households) and seven percent (13,065,000 viewers), respectively, versus the same point in 2013.

Top 10 Most-Viewed Programs in Cable Television History (Households):

Rank Date Program Network HHs (000s) 1. 01/10/2011 CFB/BCS Champ: Oregon-Auburn * ESPN 17,718 2. 01/07/2013 CFB/BCS Champ: Alabama-Notre Dame ESPN 17,216 3. 01/06/2014 CFB/BCS Champ: Florida State-Auburn ESPN 16,727 4. 01/09/2012 CFB/BCS Champ: Alabama-LSU ESPN 16,072 5. 10/05/2009 Green Bay Packers-Minnesota Vikings ESPN 15,136 6. 11/30/2009 New England Patriots-New Orleans Saints ESPN 14,872 7. 10/27/2014 Washington Redskins-Dallas Cowboys ESPN 13,313 8. 01/01/2011 CFB/Rose Bowl: TCU-Wisconsin ESPN 13,054 9. 12/27/2010 New Orleans Saints-Atlanta Falcons ESPN 12,957 10. 09/15/2008 Philadelphia Eagles-Dallas Cowboys ESPN 12,953

Top 10 Most-Viewed Programs in Cable Television History (Viewers):

Rank Date Program Network Viewers (000s) 1. 01/10/2011 CFB/BCS Champ: Oregon-Auburn * ESPN 27,316 2. 01/07/2013 CFB/BCS Champ: Alabama-Notre Dame ESPN 26,380 3. 01/06/2014 CFB/BCS Champ: Florida St.-Auburn ESPN 25,572 4. 01/09/2012 CFB/BCS Champ: Alabama-LSU ESPN 24,214 5. 10/05/2009 Green Bay Packers-Minnesota Vikings ESPN 21,839 6. 11/30/2009 New England Patriots-New Orleans Saints ESPN 21,402 7. 01/01/2011 CFB/Rose Bowl: TCU-Wisconsin ESPN 20,558 8. 12/27/2010 New Orleans Saints-Atlanta Falcons ESPN 19,137 9. 10/27/2014 Washington Redskins-Dallas Cowboys ESPN 18,809 10. 01/01/2014 CFB/Rose Bowl: Stanford-Michigan State ESPN 18,636

MNF on ESPN Deportes

Last night’s Washington-Dallas telecast on ESPN Deportes, ESPN’s Spanish-language sports network, averaged a 0.7 Hispanic Household US rating with 100,000 Hispanic Household impressions, and 128,000 Hispanic P2+ impressions, increases of 213 percent and 191 percent, respectively, over the Week 6 game last year. It ranks as the most-watched MNF game of the season and second most-watched NFL game ever on ESPN Deportes among Hispanic Households (fourth among P2+).

Season-to-date, MNF on ESPN Deportes is averaging a 0.4 Hispanic Household US rating (a 100 percent gain) with 63,000 Hispanic Household impressions and 92,000 Hispanic P2+ impressions, increases of 85 percent and 96 percent, respectively.

ESPN Digital

Washington-Dallas was the most-watched MNF game ever on WatchESPN, with an average minute audience of nearly 145,000 (up 180 percent compared to Week 8 last year), 421,000 unique viewers (up 196 percent), and 30.6 million total live minutes viewed (up 203 percent).

In addition, ESPN’s NFL coverage on digital platforms on Sunday drew an average minute audience of 751,000 (up 23 percent for the same week last year). Across the web and app, ESPN Fantasy Football accounted for 43 percent of ESPN’s total digital audience for the day, with an average minute audience of 395,000 (up 52 percent over Week 8 last year). The ESPN Fantasy Football app alone had 5.3 million unique visitors on Sunday, up 26 percent.

Next Week: Andrew Luck and Indianapolis Colts vs. Eli Manning and New York Giants on MNF

Next week, ESPN’s MNF returns when Andrew Luck and the AFC South-leading Indianapolis Colts face Eli Manning and the New York Giants, Nov. 3 at 8:15 p.m. ET (kickoff at 8:30 p.m.).

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