Actually more networks splits viewership.
Before cable TV and the dozens of networks we have now there was much higher viewership of MNF.
I think the peak audience was a 1990 game between the 49’ers and Giants of over 41M viewers.
Okay so I’m not completely crazy! Sucks growing up in a household that didn’t care about sports and you had to find your own ways to consume sports. Most of the time I had it on the radio in my room listening to the games.
1 Like
Sure, but the way Nielsen tabulates them now, it’s ESPN + ABC + every streaming platform etc… A composite. Older, ABC only games are sure to have sky high viewership numbers, but since 2006 when it was ESPN only that wasn’t the case. ADDING ABC and ESPN - plus all of the other platforms (like NFL+) is absolutely gonna make the current numbers look a lot higher than they have for more than this century.
Did you ever eat a W though? 
2 Likes
However you piece it together, I haven’t seen anything that suggest that MNF viewership is higher than it was with only ABC in the 90’s.
1 Like
That dude should be in the WWE instead of the nfl
and that is a pre-season game in the 3rd quarter…..lol
1 Like
He will for sure be a tv gold mine when he decides to retire. That guy is a total character, and fans as well as players love him.
Whatever, yes, there were more people watching on ABC. My point was to say the OP, this:
https://twitter.com/adamschefter/status/1970971138395341250?s=61
…is skewed from the vast majority of games it was competing against because it is now counting ESPN + ABC + everything else. Yes, back when there were 10 channels total and it was on free TV the ratings were higher, but that’s not the point.
Well, unfortunately, I didn’t have many chances to eat those dubs growing up a Lion’s fan.
1 Like
I know that was a good (great) MNF matchup, but some of those ratings had to be because the Lions are a good ratings draw, right?
1 Like
Lions are fun to watch. we should petition next year to have all games but thanksgiving be monday night games.
1 Like
It’s me!
