An all-time low? Cardinals-Chargers MNF game drew an average audience of only 1.8 million
ESPN featured one game on broadcast and cable while allowing only ESPN+ users to watch the second MNF game.
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The Chargers-Cardinals MNF game did not have a lot of viewers (Images via IMAGO)
This season, MNF has come back with a revamped crew with the addition of Jason Kelce. The show set a record as it averaged an estimated 20.4 million viewers in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season. Despite the Presidential elections being right around the corner, NFL viewership has not dived.
Week 7’s Monday Night Football doubleheader featured the Los Angeles Chargers and the Arizona Cardinals, and the Baltimore Ravens going up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers which brought in just 1.8 million views. That is a stark decline in comparison to the weekly viewership of ESPN.
A big reason for this low number is due to ESPN’s decision to stream one game on cable and keep the other exclusive to ESPN+. The network is accustomed to displaying its viewership numbers on-air during the game. However, it refrained from doing so because the numbers were underwhelming.
??????: The #Cardinals vs. #Chargers game drew an average audience of only 1.8 million ?
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 23, 2024
No wonder ESPN didn't include the audience numbers in the press release.
(via @ProFootballTalk) https://t.co/SGOtpc8vlo pic.twitter.com/AuV0oIKnBV
ESPN’s decision to keep one game exclusive to subscribers of its app backfired
As per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the 1.8 million viewers included the audience who tuned in via over-the-air channels in local markets of Phoenix and Los Angeles. It is unbelievable to see that an NFL game can bring in such low numbers especially when three of the four teams that played were .500 or above.
The least-watched game in NFL history garnered 9.10 million views on FOX and NFL Network and was the Thursday Night Football game between the Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals. It happened to air on the same day the Red Sox and Astros played in Game 5 of the ALCS and overlapped with LeBron James’ debut with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The low numbers ought to urge ESPN to refrain from similarly scheduling double-headers again. Either air both the games on broadcast and cable or consider getting rid of staggered Monday night doubleheaders altogether. Restricting fans from watching one game and broadcasting the other, becomes frustrating for them and reflects in the numbers.
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Sumedh Joshi
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