Monday Night Football Viewership Halved in Week as Falcons-Saints Draw Low Numbers
A steep decline in viewers for the Falcons-Saints game highlights the importance of matchups in attracting audiences for Monday Night Football.
The recent Monday Night Football matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints attracted an audience of approximately 11.9 million viewers across ABC and ESPN. This figure represents a significant drop from previous weeks, with the audience nearly halved compared to the Week 3 game between the Eagles and Bears, which drew 22.6 million viewers.
Prior to the Falcons-Saints game, Monday Night Football had averaged 21.8 million viewers through the first three weeks of the season. The latest game lowered the season average to 19.325 million.
Analysts suggest the decline is largely attributable to the specific matchup. Neither the Falcons nor the Saints are currently considered strong national draws. The game itself was also described as uncompetitive, with Atlanta ultimately winning 45-24.
The NFL and ESPN reportedly marketed the game around the 20th anniversary of the Saints' return to the Superdome following Hurricane Katrina in 2006. That earlier game, also against the Falcons, featured a memorable blocked punt by Steve Gleason, a moment that has since been memorialized with a statue outside the stadium.
Looking ahead, ESPN anticipates a rebound with the upcoming Week 5 matchup between the Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles Rams. This game features two teams considered Super Bowl favorites and two highly-regarded quarterbacks, Josh Allen and Matthew Stafford. This matchup is expected to be a marquee event, potentially surpassing the 22.6 million viewers seen for the Eagles-Bears game.
However, the Bills-Rams game will face competition from the Major League Baseball postseason. Both League Championship Series are scheduled to play on Monday, with the Dodgers-Brewers game airing on Fox and another LCS game on TBS. While the NFL game is still expected to draw more viewers overall, the concurrent baseball games could impact its maximum viewership potential.
This upcoming Sunday, NBC will also air the Falcons, this time against the Baltimore Ravens. Notably, the Ravens have ruled out quarterback Lamar Jackson, potentially leading to a less compelling quarterback matchup. This game is also set to air head-to-head with Game 1 of the Dodgers-Brewers series.