- ESPN’s Monday Night Football up 29% through two weeks of the Super Bowl LXI season
- Week 1 and Week 2 telecasts rank as the most-watched of their respective weeks in the ESPN era
Monday Night Football’s Week 2 Giants-Rams matchup (Sept. 21, 8 p.m. ET) delivered an audience of 19.4 million viewers across ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and NFL+, making it ESPN’s most-watched Week 2 Monday Night Football telecast ever (2006-present).
The record-setting audience continues a historic start to ESPN’s Super Bowl LXI season. Through the first two weeks, Monday Night Football is averaging 21.4 million viewers, up 29% compared to the first two weeks of the 2025 season.
The Giants-Rams audience follows last week’s Broncos-Chiefs season opener, which became ESPN’s most-watched Week 1 Monday Night Football game ever. Together, the two telecasts now rank as the most-watched Week 1 and Week 2 Monday Night Football games in ESPN’s 21-season stewardship of the franchise.
Leading into kickoff, Monday Night Countdown (6-8 p.m.) averaged 1.6 million viewers across ESPN and NFL Network. The pregame show was up 106% compared to Week 2 last season, when the program aired from 5-7 p.m. ET on ESPN, rather than its traditional timeslot, to accommodate the 2025 Monday Night Football Week 2 doubleheader.
ESPN’s Super Bowl LXI season continues
The strong start to the Monday Night Football season is part of ESPN’s most expansive NFL campaign ever, highlighted by 29 NFL games and coverage surrounding Super Bowl LXI. Fans can continue to watch Monday Night Football across ESPN platforms throughout the season, with Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters and Laura Rutledge leading the broadcast team.
In 2025, Monday Night Football aired three games during the season’s first two weeks, including a Week 2 doubleheader. In 2026, Monday Night Football aired two games through the season’s first two weeks.
Source: Nielsen Big Data + Panel