Eagles-Cowboys MNF Game Was The Most Watched Program In Cable Television History

Tuesday, September 16, 2008


In spite of Tony Kornheiser's best efforts to get people to change the channel, the Eagles-Cowboys MNF game for Week Two pulled a ridiculous 13.3 rating, with an average of 12,953,000 million homes, and over 18 million total viewers! Via ESPN....

Last night, ESPN’s Monday Night Football – the Dallas Cowboys’ 41-37 home victory over the Philadelphia Eagles – delivered the biggest audience in the history of cable television. The game earned a 13.3 rating, representing 12,953,000 homes (18,608,000 P2+), edging the previous record, ESPN’s New England – Baltimore Monday Night Football telecast of December 3, 2007 (12,529,000 homes, based on a 13.0 rating, 17,522,000 P2+).

Last night’s telecast is the most-watched prime-time NFL game of the 2008 season to date. It also is ESPN’s third-highest rating of all time, trailing only two other NFL games: Chicago at Minnesota on December 6, 1987 (14.4 rating; 8,400,000 homes), and Detroit at Miami on Christmas 1994 (14.2 rating; 8,927,000).
The game not only won the night for ESPN last night across all networks (both cable and network TV), but also topped NBC's Sunday Night Game (Cle-Pit, 17.8 P2+) by a little under a million viewers. Again, the big time shows haven't started yet and it'll be interesting if the Monday Nighter can win this week over the debuts of the Biggest Loser and House, as well as the finale of Big Brother 10 (all on Tuesday), but it's going to be in the Top Five for sure.

Here's what it would look like if you compare the game to the top ten during the week of Monday, September 8th....

Monday Night Football, ESPN, 18.6 million (9/16/2008)

1. Sunday Night Football, NBC, 17.8 million
2. Sunday Night NFL Pre-Kick, NBC, 13.6 million
3. "60 Minutes," CBS, 12.5 million
4. Saturday Night Football- OSU vs. USC, ABC, 11.9 million
5. "America's Got Talent" Wednesday, NBC, 11.7 million
6. "America's Got Talent" Tuesday, NBC, 11.6 million
7. Football Night in America Part 3, NBC, 10.9 million
8. "America's Got Talent" Thursday, NBC, 9.8 million
9. "Deal or No Deal" Monday, NBC, 9.7 million
10. "Two and a Half Men," CBS, 9.2 million

18 Comments:

Impressive...sure hope that Kornheiser doesn't get any credit; am afraid he will.

dadlak said...
Sep 16, 2008, 6:50:00 PM  

Can we start a potition or something to get Kornheiser out of the MNF booth?

Anonymous said...
Sep 16, 2008, 6:57:00 PM  

Can someone explain how this was the most watched cable broadcast but ESPN's third highest rating... isn't that a contradiction? What am O missing?

Anonymous said...
Sep 16, 2008, 7:00:00 PM  

never mind. I'm an idiot. I forgot what a rating was.

Anonymous said...
Sep 16, 2008, 7:05:00 PM  

Wow...even though I'm still a bit pissed that the Eagles lost, that was a very entertaining game, and in all likelihood will be the 2008 NFL regular season game of the year. If only the hook n' laterals would have gone for a TD, then last night would probably be right up there with greatest MNF games ever played.

Anonymous said...
Sep 16, 2008, 7:39:00 PM  

that was a very entertaining game, and in all likelihood will be the 2008 NFL regular season game of the year.

The Lions & 49ers haven't played yet.

Sep 16, 2008, 7:48:00 PM  

Maybe someone who was watching the AAA game on ESPN2 would happen to have a clip or see this. About 10 minutes ago (10:15 PM ET), the roving reporter was out in the outfield at the Oklahoma City park, and said how people can stand above the bullpens in the outfield and heckle the Scranton Yankee bullpen. Then he proceeded to say an example, "Hey Yankee bullpen. Keep your head up down there!" Hilarious.

Anonymous said...
Sep 16, 2008, 10:29:00 PM  

Dios mio!

Anonymous said...
Sep 17, 2008, 12:08:00 AM  

Rick James Bible Owner -- I love the Rod Allen picture. He's country strong and likes all of baseball, padner.

Anonymous said...
Sep 17, 2008, 12:18:00 AM  

At least if you live in Philly you can mute the sound and just listen to Merrill Reese & Mike Quick call the game so you don't have to listen to the diarrhea Tony Kornheiser spews.

Lammy742 said...
Sep 17, 2008, 7:42:00 AM  

It could have been even bigger: Here in Houston, on Monday we still had around 90% of the 5 million people living in the area without power. So we all missed one of the best MNF games in history (I listened on AM radio).

Anonymous said...
Sep 17, 2008, 9:38:00 AM  

Wow! 18 million viewers!!!

Why, that's a million fewer than watched the big Green Bay-Chicago game in 2003! Amazing!

Anonymous said...
Sep 17, 2008, 10:50:00 AM  

"Kornheiser" is Hebrew for auditory abortion.

GMoney said...
Sep 17, 2008, 10:55:00 AM  

I too listened on AM Radio. I'm a Cowboys fan so it's possible that I have a case of reverse bias, but didn't Jaworski ride Philly's jock the entire game??? I understand he was their heralded QB, but you don't see Aikman making statements favoring the Cowboys every time he speaks. I'm just saying, let the viewer form his opinions, Jaws should stick to "announcing" the game.

Anonymous said...
Sep 17, 2008, 11:14:00 AM  

I recommend a dvr and satllite, internet, or local radio to synch up at kickoff to the telecast. Turn the Volume down on the TV and enjoy the Tony Kornholio free play by play.

Anonymous said...
Sep 17, 2008, 12:49:00 PM  

@anon 12:18:

Don't forget about Fernando Rodney's "devastating change."

Sep 17, 2008, 1:53:00 PM   Sep 18, 2008, 7:50:00 PM  

Valuable resource of america's got talent news summaries: http://www.ng2000.com/fw.php?tp=america-s-got-talent

ng2000 said...
Sep 18, 2008, 11:59:00 PM  

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