or


[10/24/06 - 03:55 PM]
ESPN's Monday Night Football: Cable's Largest Audience Ever
The game's 11.807 million households tops the previous record of 11.174 million for CNN's November 1993 NAFTA Debate between then-vice president Al Gore and Ross Perot on Larry King Live.

[via press release from ESPN]

ESPN'S MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL: CABLE'S LARGEST AUDIENCE EVER

GIANTS VS. COWBOYS BEATS GORE VS. PEROT

LAST NIGHT, ESPN LEADS ALL NETWORKS

25.7 GROSS RATINGS POINTS ON TV, 24 MILLION PAGE VIEWS ON ESPN.COM

Last night, ESPN's Monday Night Football, a 36-22 New York Giants victory over the Dallas Cowboys, was seen by the biggest audience in the history of cable television - an average of 11,807,000 homes, based on a 12.8 rating (16,028,000 viewers, P2+). The previous record for a scheduled program on cable television had stood for nearly 13 years, CNN's November 1993 NAFTA Debate between then-vice president Al Gore and Ross Perot on Larry King Live (11,174,000 homes). (That previous record excluded breaking news which ESPN has also exceeded; four CNN telecasts of the Gulf War in 1991 were seen by more homes than the NAFTA Debate, topped by 11,742,000 homes on January 17.)

"We've never believed the acronyms NAFTA and MNF belonged in the same sentence, and we're thrilled to have established MNF as the home of cable's biggest audience ever," said Norby Williamson, ESPN executive vice president, studio and remote production. "Many people here have worked very hard to establish our day-long, multi-media approach with lead-in and post-game programming plus 'Monday Night Surround' on ESPN.com. That fans have responded with the record is very rewarding and a vivid reminder of the power of Monday Night Football."

TV HIGHLIGHTS

* ESPN's Monday Night Football now occupies seven of the top eight spots on the list of cable's biggest audiences ever (excludes breaking news).

* It was the sixth-straight week that MNF earned a rating over a 10 - all six weeks after the special opening Monday doubleheader which registered a 9.9 and 8.5.

* Last night ESPN led all networks - cable or broadcast - as the most-viewed network in primetime overall, and in all key adult and male demos: adults and men 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54.

* MNF continues to boost ESPN's ratings throughout the day; adding in the pre- and post-game shows, ESPN delivered 25.7 gross ratings points.

* Last night's MNF telecast was simulcast on local over-the-air channels in Dallas (10.5 rating) and New York (5.3 rating), boosting ESPN's audience to an estimated average of 12,400,000 households. The total also includes those viewing in high definition on ESPN HD.

* For the NFL season to date, MNF on ESPN is averaging a 10.8 rating and 9,961,000 homes (13,467,000 P2+) for eight games in seven weeks. These represent increases of 50%, 53% and 52%, respectively, compared to the first seven weeks of last year's ESPN Sunday Night Football (7.2 rating, 6.521 million homes, 8.878 million viewers).

* ESPN's eight MNF games so far are cable television's best ratings and largest audiences of 2006.

ON ESPN.COM

* Online, ESPN.com's NFL and "Monday Night Surround" content viewed on computers and wireless devices generated 24 million page views Monday, up 62 percent over page views last year according to Web measurement tool HitBox.

* The increase is boosted by the nearly quarter-million fans who have registered to play the Monday Night Surround Fan Challenge, the cornerstone interactive contest for ESPN.com's Monday Night Surround content.

* There were more than 1.7 million views of pro-football-related videos on ESPN Motion and ESPN360 on Monday (through Tuesday at noon).

NEXT WEEK ON MNF

Next week, ESPN's MNF will feature the New England Patriots visiting the Minnesota Vikings at 8:30 p.m.





  [october 2006]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL (ESPN)
· SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL (NBC)





[01/10/25 - 12:01 PM]
"Saturday Night Live" Kicks Off 2025 with New Shows Beginning Jan. 18
Look for Dave Chappelle to host on January 18 followed by Timothée Chalamet on January 25.

[01/10/25 - 10:31 AM]
The "Doc" Is in with a Double Dose of FOX's Gripping New Medical Drama
The show's debut installment will rebroadcast this Sunday, January 12 and Monday, January 13.

[01/10/25 - 08:31 AM]
Cleveland Cavaliers Victory Over Oklahoma City Thunder on ESPN Averaged 1.87 Million Viewers
Wednesday's coverage peaked at 2.5 million viewers.

[01/10/25 - 07:06 AM]
"Puppy Bowl XXI" Returns Sunday, February 9 Across Animal Planet, Discovery, TBS, truTV, Max and discovery+
The annual three-hour television event will feature 142 rescue puppies from 80 shelters across 40 states - and two countries - as they compete in the cutest competition of the year.

[01/10/25 - 05:31 AM]
Venu Sports Will Be Discontinued
Venu Sports, the proposed virtual MVPD service from ESPN, FOX and Warner Bros. Discovery, will be discontinued.

[01/10/25 - 03:01 AM]
Video: "My Family" - Official Teaser - Netflix
A terminally ill father prepares his chaotic family to care for his two young kids and face life without him - but they must put old quarrels to rest.

[01/10/25 - 01:23 AM]
Disney+ and Curious Films to Produce "Caroline (w/t)" Original Feature Length Documentary Film
The film will celebrate the life and career of one of the UK's most popular TV presenters Caroline Flack and follows Christine, Caroline's mother, as she seeks to understand the events in the final months of her daughter's life.

[01/09/25 - 01:54 PM]
Video: Hunting Down the Truth - "The Hunting Party" - Trailer - NBC
After an impossible breakout at a top-secret prison, one team must race against time to recapture escaped serial killers who are more dangerous than ever before.

[01/09/25 - 11:21 AM]
CBS Program Advisory: "Hollywood Squares" Premiere Moves to Next Thursday
In light of the ongoing tragic wildfires in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas, tonight's premiere of "Hollywood Squares" will move to next Thursday, January 16.

[01/09/25 - 08:32 AM]
ESPN's College Football Bowl Viewership Reaches Record Highs for 2024-25 Season
The 33 non-College Football Playoff bowls averaged 2.7 million viewers, marking a 14 percent year-over-year increase and the largest audience since the 2019-20 season.

[01/09/25 - 08:25 AM]
"The American Revolution," A New Film from Ken Burns, to Premiere November 16, 2025
The new six-part, 12-hour documentary series that explores the country's founding and its eight-year War for Independence, will premiere on Sunday, November 16 and air for six consecutive nights through Friday, November 21st at 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET on PBS.

[01/09/25 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Lucca's World" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Determined to help her son, who has cerebral palsy, Bárbara takes her family to India for an experimental treatment. Based on the book of the same name.

[01/09/25 - 07:00 AM]
WWE "RAW" Wrestles Up 4.9M Global Views for Netflix Debut
The inaugural event on Netflix averaged 2.6 million households (Live+SD) in the US, according to VideoAmp, which is 116% higher than "RAW's" average 2024 US audience of 1.2 million households, and higher than any other "Monday Night RAW" broadcast in the past five years.

[01/09/25 - 06:00 AM]
Video: "Onside: Major League Soccer" - Official Trailer - Apple TV+
Off the pitch and on the record. An access-all-areas look at Major League Soccer.

[01/09/25 - 05:31 AM]
Video: "Sakamoto Days" - Final Trailer - Netflix
Once the greatest hitman of all, Taro Sakamoto retired in the name of love. But when his past catches up, he must fight to protect his beloved family.