• 2024 Joins 2023 as the Two Most-Watched MNF Seasons in ESPN Era (2006 – Present)

• 112 Million Total Fans Watched Monday Night Football in 2024

• Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli Averaged One Million Viewers; Fourth Consecutive Season Reaching the Benchmark

• Nearly All of ESPN’s 10 Most-Watched MNF Games Have Occurred in Joe Buck/Troy Aikman/Lisa Salters Three-Year Period; ESPN Aired Network’s Most-Watched Week 18 Game to Conclude Regular Season

The 2024 season of Monday Night Football was ESPN’s second-most-watched in the company’s 24-year history of bringing fans the storied NFL television franchise, joining last season (2023) as the two most-watched MNF seasons (2006 – present). The 22-game campaign averaged 15 million viewers a game (linear games only) and reached 112 million fans along the way.  Additionally, the Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Lisa Salters era continues to elevate ESPN’s MNF most-watched game list, with this season adding a Top 5 and three Top 10 audiences amongst the more than 400 Monday Night Football games the network has aired since 2006.

Supplementing the 2024 Monday Night Football success was Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli, which continues as the most-watched regularly occurring alternate telecast in sports, and The Simpsons Funday Football – an animated Monday Night Football game transformed in real-time into the iconic Simpsons world.

Monday Night Football Averages 15 Million Viewers Per Game
The Monday Night Football average of 15 million viewers a game, inclusive of Doubleheader Saturday and all 22 linear games, bested each Monday Night Football season dating back to 2006, except the 2023 season. The healthy audience figure is up 12% from the 2022 season and 5% from the 2021 season.

The 15 million viewers a game includes Weeks 2, 3 and 15 where an exclusive game aired on ABC and a second exclusive game was televised on ESPN, resulting in more than two hours of overlapping NFL action across the networks. Excluding those six games from the season average, ESPN’s Monday Night Football viewership jumps to 17 million viewers a game (16 games).

The 2024 MNF season further mirrored 2023 through increases in specific demos compared to 2022, with the 2024 season up 15% in females, and increases in Persons 18-49 and 25-34 – among others – compared to two seasons ago.

Bengals at Steelers Draws 22 Million, ESPN’s Most-Watched Week 18 Doubleheader Saturday Game
ESPN concluded the regular season with 22 million viewers for Cincinnati at Pittsburgh (January 4, 8 p.m. ET), the network’s most-watched Week 18 game in the four seasons Doubleheader Saturday has kicked off the NFL’s Season Finale. The viewership was up 12% year-over-year (Houston at Indianapolis) and provided back-to-back games of at least 22 million viewers for Buck, Aikman and Salters, joining the Monday Night Football Week 17 game (Detroit at San Francisco).

Beginning Week 18, Cleveland at Baltimore (January 4, 4:30 p.m.) drew 17.3 million viewers. Both Doubleheader Saturday games were available on ABC, ESPN, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes and NFL+.

Buck, Aikman and Salters Era Delivers ESPN’s Most-Watched Monday Night Football Games
ESPN’s Monday Night Football momentum during the Buck, Aikman, and Salters era is further showcased through individual game viewership. Amongst MNF games in the ESPN era, this season, the previously-mentioned Detroit at San Francisco (Week 17) matchup delivered a Top 5 audience, while Tampa Bay at Kansas City (Week 9) and New York Jets at San Francisco (Week 1) are among the Top 10.

In total, eight of the Top 10 most-watched MNF games have taken place in the three seasons that the trio have been the voices of Monday Night Football.

ESPN’s Top 10 Most-Watched Monday Night Football Games  

Please note: Doesn’t include any games from Doubleheader Saturday (Week 18), which has aired in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 seasons. All games occurred on Monday, except Detroit at Dallas (Week 17) which was played on Saturday due to the New Year’s Day programming schedule. Lines highlighted in blue above denotate games that occurred in 2024.

Peyton and Eli Continue to Average One Million Viewers in Fourth Season
Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli, airing on ESPN2, averaged one million viewers an episode during its 10-episode regular season run in 2024. Since the show began with the 2021 season, the alternate telecast has hit the million viewers per game season average in each of its four seasons.

The Simpsons Funday Football Showcased ESPN’s Innovation
The second iteration of Funday Football premiered in Week 14 (December 9), as the real-time, animated telecast featured Bart joining the Bengals and Homer teaming up with the Cowboys for The Simpsons Funday Football. Produced in conjunction with Disney, The Simpsons, NFL, and Sony, the alternate presentation streamed on Disney+ and ESPN+.

ESPN’s Season Continues with Wild Card and Divisional Playoff Game
ESPN’s 2024-25 NFL season continues with a Monday night Wild Card game featuring the Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Rams (January 13, 8 p.m. ET) and then a Divisional round game on January 18 or 19. Both games will be available on ESPN, ABC, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes and streaming on mobile through NFL+. Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli will air on ESPN2 for the Vikings and Rams.

Please note: Monday Night Football aired on ESPN and ABC most weeks, as well as ESPN2 and ESPN+ several weeks; Reach number is through Week 17.

Media Contacts
Derek Volner ([email protected])
Lily Blum ([email protected])