• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
Fox Analyst and Media Entrepreneur Greg Olsen to Speak at Tuned In Get your ticket now!

Is ESPN’s ‘MNF’ Doubleheader Strategy Hurting Viewership?

  • ESPN has its second straight Monday Night Football doubleheader in Week 4.
  • There will be two more instances of dueling Monday games this season.
Detroit Free Press

Week 4 of the NFL regular season concludes with a second consecutive doubleheader, as ESPN’s biggest Monday Night Football season keeps pushing new boundaries, even if fans aren’t thrilled.

The Titans (0–3) visit the Dolphins (1–2) at 7:30 p.m. (all times ET) on ESPN, kicking off 45 minutes before ABC gets a much more desirable NFC matchup at 8:15 p.m.: the Seahawks (3–0) at the Lions (2–1). Last week, many NFL fans on social media voiced their criticism of the overlapping games, as the Bills beat the Jaguars 47–10 after a 7:30 pm. kickoff on ESPN, closely followed by the Commanders knocking off the favored Bengals 38–33, which started at 8:15 p.m. on ABC.

ESPN is paying the NFL an average of $2.7 billion per year under the league’s current $110 billion media-rights deals. For that steep price, there are a record 21 MNF games thanks to the continued increase in doubleheaders: four this year, up from three last season, and just one in 2022. 

On Oct. 21 in Week 7, the Ravens visit the Buccaneers for a standard 8:15 p.m. Monday night kickoff on ESPN, while Chargers at Cardinals begins at 8:45 p.m., and is an exclusive ESPN+ stream (another part of the NFL’s record streaming push). On Dec. 16 in Week 15, ABC has Bears-Vikings at 8 p.m., and ESPN has Falcons-Raiders at 8:30 p.m.

By the Numbers

More people are watching the NFL than at any point since 2015, so more Monday night games should only be a good thing for the league’s viewership, right?

Well, it’s complicated.

When  MNF doubleheaders take place, neither game draws as large an audience as it would on its own. So, ESPN touts the total average viewership in the roughly two-hour window when the games with staggered starts overlap.

Last week, that overlap figure was more than 19 million viewers. On its own, the more exciting Commanders-Bengals game averaged 13.2 million viewers on ABC, and Bills-Jaguars averaged 6.4 million on ESPN.

In 2023, two early-season MNF doubleheaders averaged 21.83 million viewers during their two-hour overlaps. Week 2 featured Saints-Panthers and Steelers-Browns, while Week 3 had Eagles-Buccaneers and Bengals-Rams. The 2023 MNF season average was 17.4 million viewers.

There was a twist in Week 14 last year when Packers-Giants and Titans-Dolphins both kicked off at 8:15 p.m. and collectively averaged 19.8 million viewers on ESPN platforms. That was the only doubleheader to have a ManningCast, which will appear only during the Week 7 doubleheader this season.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

WNBA Breaks 3M Attendance Milestone in Season’s Final Week

The WNBA extended the season to a record 44 games this year.

Fox Schedules Michigan State for 11 p.m. ET Kickoff vs. USC

Michigan State–USC will be played at 11 p.m. ET on Sept. 20.
The cover of the College Football 25 video game.
exclusive

Group That Facilitated NIL Deal for Football Video Game Now Says It’s..

EA offered $1,500 and no royalties; it also deleted an opt-out clause.

Lachlan Murdoch’s Victory Brings Stability to Fox Sports Rights Future

The network’s status quo is solidified in the complex financial settlement.

Featured Today

opinion

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from NFL’s Week 1 Broadcasts

Many viewers decried the addition of ads to NFL RedZone.
Aug 23, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) leads the team onto the field for warm ups before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.
September 7, 2025

Slow Burn: The NFL’s Private-Equity Era So Far

Three deals have been struck to date. But the league is bullish.
Tennis
September 5, 2025

The US Open Is Groaning Under the Weight of Its Own Success

New York’s tennis major is more popular than ever.
Dec 21, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) gets ready to take the field prior to a game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
September 5, 2025

How Brazil Game Fits Into NFL’s Plans for World Domination

Friday night’s Chiefs-Chargers game in São Paulo is big by design.

NFL’s Expected Early-Season Ratings Boost Gets Off to a Stormy Start

The kickoff game somewhat resembles the delays last year in an SNF game.
Eagles
September 4, 2025

The Death of Streameast Has Been Greatly Exaggerated

Mirror sites began popping up Thursday, the day the NFL season begins.
September 4, 2025

TNT Sports to Try Its Own Streaming App After WBD Split

TNT Sports will have its own app as a corporate split approaches.
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
September 4, 2025

3 ABC Games Top 10M Viewers Each in ESPN’s Record CFB Weekend

Miami–Notre Dame led the way with 10.8 million viewers.
September 4, 2025

Bill Belichick’s UNC Debut Draws More Than 6M Viewers on ESPN

TCU-UNC was the fifth-most-watched college football game of Week 1.
September 3, 2025

Ohio State–Texas Showdown Was Most-Watched Week 1 CFB Game Ever

Fox drew 16.62 million viewers on Saturday afternoon.
September 2, 2025

NFL on Nielsen’s Latest Measurement Upgrade: ‘More Work to Be Done’

The league calls its relationship with the agency a “protracted journey.”