ESPN kicked off its 2025 NFL slate with a major win, as Monday Night Football delivered more than 22.1 million viewers across ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, and NFL+. The Vikings-Bears matchup marked the second most-watched Week 1 game of the MNF era since ESPN took over rights in 2006.
The audience represented an 8% year-over-year increase from the 2024 season opener featuring the Jets and 49ers, reinforcing the continued draw of the Joe Buck and Troy Aikman booth. The duo has now called the four most-watched Week 1 games of the ESPN era, spanning 35 openers across multiple seasons.
The strong debut not only boosted ESPN’s primetime programming but also rippled across the network’s studio lineup. Monday Night Countdown, Sunday NFL Countdown, and NFL Live each posted year-over-year growth as fans leaned into the network’s coverage before kickoff.
Leading into the Vikings-Bears broadcast, Monday Night Countdown averaged 1.76 million viewers from 6–8 p.m., its largest Week 1 audience since 2014. The pregame show grew 39% compared to last year’s opener, underscoring the momentum behind ESPN’s on-site presentation.
Meanwhile, Sunday NFL Countdown delivered its best Week 1 performance in multiple years, drawing 1.55 million viewers from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The broadcast posted a 38% increase over 2024’s opening Sunday, a sign that audiences remain invested in ESPN’s long-running NFL preview coverage despite growing competition from other pregame formats.
ESPN also extended NFL Live into a special two-hour block from Soldier Field prior to kickoff. That edition generated 550,000 viewers, a 17% jump over last season’s shorter opener.
The early success of MNF and its shoulder programming aligns with ESPN’s broader strategy of emphasizing live NFL content across multiple platforms. By distributing the game on both linear and streaming outlets, including ESPN+ integration through NFL+, the network maximized reach while continuing to build momentum for Buck and Aikman as the primetime voices of the league.
For ESPN, the results validate the ongoing investment in NFL rights and reinforce the network’s ability to drive audiences at a time when live sports are increasingly fractured across providers. The Vikings-Bears matchup also served as another proof point that even outside of marquee national brands, MNF remains a reliable ratings driver.
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