Monday night’s Week 3 game between the Eagles and Bears drew 22.6 million viewers on the Disney family of networks. Monday night’s Week 4 game between the Falcons and Saints did almost half that number.
Via ESPN, the most recent Monday night game on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes drew an average total audience of 11.9 million.
It’s a surprising drop in viewership, especially in light of the game’s importance. It was 20 years after the Saints returned to the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina with a 23-3 victory over Atlanta, sparked by a blocked punt by Steve Gleason, which is immortalized in a statue outside the stadium. There was a wide focus, and rightly so, on the importance of the 2026 rematch.
After all, the game has to keep the audience. The Falcons led 24-7 at halftime en route to a 45-24 victory. Until then, it was easy for many to check.
Over the first three weeks, Monday Night Football averaged 21.8 million viewers. The Week 4 game drops the average to 19.325 million.
This week’s game should make up for it – the Bills visit the Rams in what could be a shootout that goes down to the wire.