ESPN's Monday Night Football Season-Opening MegaCast: 15.3 Million Viewers, Delivering MNF's Most-Watched Week 1 Game Since 2013

o Ravens-Raiders Delivers ESPN's Second Most-Watched Week 1 MNF Game

o MNF MegaCast Viewership Up 42% and 17%, Respectively, from ESPN's 2020 and 2019 Week 1 Early Game

o Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli Garner Strong Alternate Telecast Audience

ESPN's Monday Night Football MegaCast presentation of the Baltimore Ravens at Las Vegas Raiders (Sept. 13, 8:15 p.m. ET) delivered an impressive audience of 15,292,000 viewers across ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, and ESPN Deportes. The audience for Raiders' thrilling 33-27 overtime win represents ESPN's best MNF Week 1 viewership since 2013 (15 games*) and second most-watched Week 1 game since it began airing Monday Night Football (31 games).

Additionally, the MegaCast audience for Allegiant Stadium's first NFL regular season game with fans is up 42% and 17%, respectively, from the first MNF doubleheader game (7 p.m. kickoff) in 2020 and 2019. In both years, the first game of the doubleheader was the most-viewed game out of the two Week 1 games. On ESPN2 alone, Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli registered an audience of 800,000 viewers.

"ESPN's culture of innovation inspired the launching of the MegaCast concept in 2004," said Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, ESPN and Sports Content. "Last night's Monday Night Football presentation demonstrated ESPN's continued creative evolution and unparalleled ability to reach fans through every available platform."

Note: Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli also streamed on ESPN+. Viewership for that feed is not included in this release. ESPN+ also streamed Between the Lines and the audience for that viewing option is not included in the total audience.

Additional Ravens-Raiders MNF Viewership Highlights:

o Monday Night Football was the most-watched telecast of the night among households, viewers, and all keys demo: Men 18-34, 18-49, 25-54, and 55+ as well as persons 18-34, 18-49, 25-54 and P5+ on both ESPN and ABC

o Monday Night Football also helped ESPN and ABC become the most-watched networks (broadcast and cable) in prime time among households, viewers and the same key male and people demos

o Baltimore was the highest-rated local market, followed by Las Vegas and Sacramento. The complete Top 10:

Rank Market Local Rating
(ESPN, ABC, ESPN2)
1 Baltimore 30.0
2 Las Vegas 18.4
3 Sacramento 16.4
4 Kansas City 16.0
5 San Diego 15.9
6 San Francisco 14.4
7 Seattle 13.8
8 Denver 13.6
9 Cleveland 13.5
10 Portland 13.3

Note: Only 44 of the 56 markets are available; the additional 12 will be available tomorrow

Monday Night Football Week 2: Detroit at Green Bay on ESPN (Traditional) and ESPN2 (Peyton and Eli)

ESPN's Monday Night Football season continues with the Detroit Lions visiting Green Bay, as reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers and new Lions quarterback Jared Goff seek their first wins of the season. The traditional telecast with Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Louis Riddick, Lisa Salter and John Parry will air on ESPN, with Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli on ESPN2.

Note: From 2006-20, ESPN aired a doubleheader during Week 1 of the NFL season. This season, Ravens-Raiders was the only game that aired. The historical reference of 'best since 2013' is inclusive of the second game of the doubleheader in 2013 and then both games from 2014-20.

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