MNF Finishes 2018 Regular Season Up Eight Percent

MNF – Most-Watched Series on Cable for the Second Straight Year 

ESPN’s Monday Night Football finished the 2018 NFL regular season up eight percent year-over-year with an average viewership of 11,647,000 over 17 games (16 weeks).

In addition to the eight percent gain over 2017 (10,788,000), MNF also increased two percent vs. 2016 (11,390,000).

2018 MNF Season Highlights:

• MNF finished the season as the most-watched series on cable for the second straight year.
• MNF accounted for nine of the top 20 most-watched telecasts on cable in 2018.
• MNF helped ESPN win the night all 16 Mondays this season, among all networks – broadcast or cable – in households, viewers and all key male and adult demos (18-34, 18-49, 25-54).
• MNF was the most-watched telecast of the day on 15 of 16 Mondays in households, viewers and all key male and adult demos.
• MNF’s most-watched game of the season was the Chiefs-Rams thriller on Nov. 19, attracting an audience of 7 million viewers. It was the first MNF game played in Los Angeles in 33 years, though originally scheduled for Mexico City.

The top 10 MNF metered markets this season include New Orleans (14.4), Norfolk (11.6), Richmond (10.9), Kansas City (10.6), Denver (10.5), Washington D.C. (10.1), Seattle-Tacoma (9.9), San Diego, Albuquerque and Phoenix (9.6).

ESPN’s MNF debuted a brand new commentator team in 2018, featuring Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten, Booger McFarland and reporter Lisa Salters.

MNF Team to Call an NFL Wild Card Playoff Game and the 2019 Pro Bowl:

• ESPN’s MNF team will call an NFL Wild Card playoff game (January 5 or 6, 2019), as well as the 2019 Pro Bowl in Orlando (January 27).