Cowboys-Bears Is ESPN's Highest-Rated "Monday Night Football" Game of 2013 and the Most-Watched Show on Monday Night

Last night's Monday Night Football telecast - a Chicago Bears' 45-28 victory over the Dallas Cowboys - was ESPN's highest-rated and most-viewed (based on households) MNF game of the 2013 NFL season. The telecast ranked as the No. 1 show of the night across cable and broadcast in households, viewers and all key male and adult demos, helping ESPN win the night on Monday among all networks (broadcast or cable) in those same categories.

The Cowboys-Bears telecast earned a 10.2 US rating, representing an average of 11,815,000 households and 16,192,000 viewers (P2+), according to Nielsen. Coverage peaked from 9:45-10 p.m. ET with an 11.9 US rating.

In Dallas, the game delivered a 19.9 rating on ESPN and a 5.8 on KTXD-IND, for a combined 25.6 rating in the market. In Chicago, the game delivered a 12.9 rating on ESPN and a 24.5 on WLS-ABC, for a combined 37.4 rating in the market.

The top 10 metered markets (in addition to the markets of the competing teams) were Richmond-Petersburg (17.2), San Antonio (16.5), New Orleans (16.2), Albuquerque-Santa Fe (15.7), Austin (15.2), Las Vegas (15.0), Phoenix (14.9), Milwaukee (14.7), Norfolk (13.4) and Sacramento (13.3).

The MNF season-opener (Philadelphia Eagles vs. Washington Redskins, Sept. 9) was ESPN's previous best rating (10.1) and it remains the network's most-viewed game of the season among viewers (16,524,000).

Through 14 weeks (15 games), ESPN's MNF is averaging an 8.6 US rating, 10,012,000 households and 13,677,000 viewers in 2013, increases of two, four and four percent, respectively, versus the same period in 2012.

Bears-Cowboys on ESPN Deportes: Most-Watched NFL Game on Nationally Broadcast Spanish-Language TV

The Cowboys-Bears telecast on ESPN Deportes was also the most-watched NFL game ever on nationally broadcast Spanish-language television, averaging a 0.7 US Hispanic Household rating and 105,000 Hispanic households and 174,000 Hispanic viewers (P2+).

It is the second time during this season that ESPN Deportes has set this mark. The previous most-watched game was MNF's Patriots-Panthers telecast (Nov. 18), which averaged a 0.6 Hispanic Household rating and 90,000 Hispanic households and 157,000 Hispanic viewers (P2+).

MNF on ESPN Deportes season-to-date is averaging 45,000 Hispanic households and 67,000 Hispanic viewers (P2+), increases of 23 percent and 13 percent, respectively, based on a 0.3 Hispanic Household US rating.

NFL on ESPN Digital Platforms

ESPN Digital Media's NFL content across all platforms - ESPN.com, mobile Web, apps and WatchESPN - through 15 Monday Night Football games over 14 days so far this season continue to log significant growth, generating an average minute audience of 628,000 during telecasts, an increase of 28 percent compared to the same time period last season. Specifically, last night's Cowboys-Bears game on WatchESPN logged 13.8 million live minutes, 204,000 unique viewers, and an average minute audience of 73,000, up 127 percent, 115 percent and 128 percent respectively compared to a year ago. Season to date, MNF on WatchESPN is averaging 186,000 unique viewers (up 110 percent), 13.0 million live minutes (up 145 percent) and an average minute audience of 66,000 (up 142 percent) per game.

Additionally, season to date on Sundays, ESPN Digital Media's average minute audience across all platforms is 605,000, up 16 percent compared to the same time period the previous year. Other highlights:

· Mobile apps logged the largest growth on Sunday, with the SportsCenter app generating an average minute audience of 155,000 (up 70 percent) and 8.2 million unique visitors (up 17 percent)

· ESPN Fantasy Football app logged an average minute audience of 145,000 (up 91 percent) and 3.7 million unique visitors (up 49 percent)

Joe Flacco and Baltimore Ravens vs. Calvin Johnson and Detroit Lions on MNF This Week:

ESPN's Monday Night Football returns this week on December 16 at 8:25 p.m. ET when Joe Flacco and the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens travel to the Motor City to play Calvin Johnson and the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Both teams remain in contention for the NFL Playoffs.