ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” ratings dropped to a near season low, according to Deadline Tuesday.
The Atlanta Falcons rolled into Florida Monday night to keep their playoff berth alive and routed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24-21 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. However, the NFC battle did little to help the NFL and ESPN in the ongoing ratings battle this season, dropping 24 percent in early metrics from the week before. (RELATED: ‘Monday Night Football’ Ratings Down)
TAMPA, FL – DECEMBER 18: Quarterback Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons looks for a receiver during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on December 18, 2017 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
Last night’s game scored a 6.5 in metered market ratings and was the third lowest “MNF” ratings the network has seen during the 2017-2018 season.
Despite its low performance, Monday night’s game still beat the low set this season on November 27 between the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans. That game had 6.0 in metered market results with a 2.7 rating among adults ages 18-49.
In comparison, the Miami Dolphins win last week over the New England Patriots ended up scoring a 3.8 rating in the key demographic with 11.7 million viewers.
To add even more context, last night’s game was down by 19 percent in metered market results from the game played at the same time last year. The 26-15 victory of the Carolina Panthers over the Washington Redskins scored a 3.6 rating among adults ages 18-49 with 11.2 million viewers.