ESPN delivered its most-watched edition of Monday Night Football for the 2024 regular season, accruing an average of 22.2 million viewers for its presentation of the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers game in Week 17, according to data from Nielsen Media Research. The game is the fifth most-watched among the 335 broadcasts aired since the franchise began airing on ESPN in 2006.
Moreover, the game also surpassed the Monday Night Football season opener featuring the 49ers and New York Jets in September, which averaged 20.5 million viewers on ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes and NFL+. Play-by-play announcer Joe Buck, analyst Troy Aikman and reporter Lisa Salters were on the call for the NFC tilt that was also simulcast on ABC, marking the seventh such instance of the game concomitantly airing on over-the-air television this season.
ESPN did not broadcast a Monday night game in Week 17 last year, instead airing a special edition broadcast between the Lions and Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night. The matchup averaged 26.1 million viewers across ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes and NFL+, which helped solidify the 2023 season as the most watched in the history of the broadcast property since 2006.
ESPN will air a Saturday NFL doubleheader in Week 18 featuring all four teams from the AFC North as the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers vie to secure the division title. The first matchup features the Ravens against the Cleveland Browns from M&T Bank Stadium at 4:30 p.m. EST on ABC and ESPN. The second game on the schedule kicks off from Acrisure Stadium at 8 p.m. EST on ABC and ESPN as the Cincinnati Bengals look to attain a spot in the NFL playoffs against the Steelers.
During Week 15 of the NFL season, ESPN Monday Night Football presented a doubleheader featuring two matchups starting within a half hour of each other that garnered an overlapping audience averaging 17.8 million viewers from 8:30 to 11:15 p.m. EST. As outlined in its 10-year media rights agreement with the league, The Walt Disney Company airs 23 NFL games during the season, including three weeks with doubleheaders. The company presents an annual Wild Card and Divisional Round playoff game, and it will also broadcast the Super Bowl to conclude the 2026 and 2030 seasons on ABC and ESPN.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
