MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL Helps ESPN Win the Night Among All Networks

ESPN's MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL - a Pittsburgh Steelers' 24-20 victory over the San Diego Chargers on the game's final play - helped ESPN win the night among all networks - broadcast or cable - in households, viewers and all key male and adult demos. Also, the game was the highest-rated program of the night in all key male demos, and adults 18-34 and 18-49.

The game averaged a 7.7 US household rating and 12,182,000 viewers (P2+), according to Nielsen. Steelers-Chargers peaked from 9:45-10 p.m. ET with an 8.9 rating and 14,457,000 viewers.

In Pittsburgh, the game delivered an 11.3 rating on ESPN and a 24.6 on WTAE-ABC, for a combined 35.9 rating in the market. In San Diego, the game delivered an 8.4 rating on ESPN and a 25.5 on KFMB-CBS, for a combined 33.9 rating in the market.

The top 10 metered markets (not including those of the competing teams): Las Vegas (15.1), Denver (12.9), Cleveland and Norfolk (12.6), New Orleans (12.4), Columbus (12.2), Dayton (12.1), Baltimore and West Palm Beach (11.5), and Cincinnati (11.3).

WatchESPN and ESPN Digital
The MNF Steelers-Chargers game logged the sixth-largest audience ever for MNF on WatchESPN attracting an additional 170,000 average minute impressions to the TV audience, up 34 percent compared to last year's Week 5 MNF game. It also had 571,000 unique viewers watching 38,867,000 live minutes - up 52 percent and 48 percent, respectively.

The 2015 NFL season continues to drive record-breaking traffic across ESPN Digital platforms, logging its fourth best day ever on Sunday, October 11, with an average minute audience of 1,070,000 people across platforms, up 15 percent compared to last year's Week 5 Sunday. Specifically, 49 percent of time spent with ESPN Digital properties on Sunday was with the ESPN Fantasy Football app, which attracted 7,028,000 unique visitors and an average minute audience of 483,000 - up 32 percent and 53 percent respectively compared to the previous year.

Additionally, NFL content specifically across digital platforms on Sunday peaked at an average of 2,560,000 users during the average minute. Of Sunday's total NFL audience on digital platforms, 84 percent came from mobile devices.

This Week on MNF: NFC East Showdown - New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles
This week, ESPN's MNF returns with one of its biggest matchups of the season as Eli Manning and the New York Giants face Sam Bradford and the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field at 8:15 p.m. ET (kickoff at 8:30 p.m.). It is the first MNF meeting between the longtime NFC East rivals since 2002 and seventh all-time.

This afternoon, ESPN debuted its new 30-second promo spot for MNF's Giants-Eagles game. The ad is set to "Woke Up This Morning," the Alabama 3 song that was made popular in the opening credits of HBO's The Sopranos.

Need more TV Theatre News in your life? Sign up for all the news on the Winter season, discounts & more...