Ratings: ESPN Monday Night Football Sets Record With 26.6 Million Viewers

Monday Night Football viewership surged 14% versus last year's opener, perhaps due to the hubbub surrounding Aaron Rodgers' (sadly truncated) New York Jets debut.

All told, MNF amassed 26.6 million total viewers across ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPN+, NFL+, ESPN Deportes, besting a 2009 Vikings/Packers game to set an all-time viewership high for the football franchise's run on ESPN.

ABC's share of MNF's Season 54 premiere averaged 10 million total viewers and a 2.1 demo rating, up sharply from what Broncos/Seahawks mustered a year ago (8 mil/1.6).

Rodgers' stint as Jets QB, alas, lasted only a little over three minutes, after he was sidelined by an injury that turned out to be a season-ending torn Achilles for the Super Bowl MVP.

Opposite Monday Night Football...

NBC's American Ninja Warrior (rather emotionally!) ended this cycle with 2.9 million total viewers and a 0.3 demo rating, matching season lows.

The CW's Son of a Critch (340K/0.0) and Run the Burbs (190K/0.0) both dropped eyeballs, while Children Ruin Everything (240K/0.1) gained some.

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The Live+Same Day numbers reported in our ratings column do not reflect a show's overall performance, given the increased use of delayed playback via DVR and streaming platforms, plus out-of-home viewing. These numbers (Nielsen fast nationals, unless denoted as finals) instead aim to simply illustrate trends or superlatives. Steve Harvey is not a judge or lawyer and merely offers an alternative forum of dispute resolution.