Monday Night Football TV Ratings Down For First Time in 2019

For the first three Monday Night Football games this year, ESPN saw increased TV ratings over last season. Game 1 of their Week 1 doubleheader between New Orleans and Houston was up 26 percent over 2018, while Game 2 (Oakland-Denver) was up 10 percent and the Week 2 matchup between the Browns and Jets was up 3 percent, via Sports Media Watch.

In Week 3, however, ESPN saw their first decline, and it’s likely because the Bears led the Redskins 28-0 in the first half. Compared to last season, a matchup between Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay, the Bears-Redskins game was down 13 percent, per the Chicago Tribune.

The early deficit for the Redskins definitely caused their fans to turn off the television.

In Washington, D.C., where the game was on ESPN and the local ABC, it averaged a combined 16.0 household rating, a little better than half as well as it did in the Chicago area.

(via Chicago Tribune)

Based on the information provided by Sports Media Watch, the 16.0 household rating would be the lowest of the season for the Washington, D.C. market. In Week 1, they had a 19.0 household rating, and in Week 2, they had an 18.3 household rating.