Buccaneers-Lions Game Draws High ESPN Viewership; Texans-Seahawks Falls Short
The recent Monday night matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions garnered significant viewership on ESPN, marking a standout event in Week Seven of the NFL season. In contrast, the late game featuring the Houston Texans and Seattle Seahawks experienced much lower ratings.
Record-Breaking Ratings for Buccaneers-Lions
The Buccaneers-Lions game attracted an impressive 18.8 million viewers. This figure represents the highest viewership for a Week Seven Monday night game in ESPN’s history. Notably, this rating reflects a 19 percent increase compared to the same week last year.
Texans-Seahawks Viewership
While ESPN highlighted the success of the Buccaneers-Lions game, it did not disclose the exact viewership numbers for the Texans-Seahawks matchup. Based on the overall average of 12.7 million viewers for both games, it can be inferred that the Texans-Seahawks game drew approximately 6.6 million viewers.
- Buccaneers-Lions Viewership: 18.8 million
- Texans-Seahawks Viewership: Estimated 6.6 million
- Average Viewership (Both Games): 12.7 million
- Increase from Last Year: 19% for Buccaneers-Lions
Implications for Future NFL Scheduling
The 6.6 million viewers for the Texans-Seahawks game is respectable for many television shows but falls short of expectations for an NFL game. The late 10 p.m. ET kickoff may have deterred a larger audience, as fans opted not to stay awake for the second game.
This doubleheader marked the final one for the NFL season, with all remaining Monday nights featuring single matchups. Considering this viewership data, the NFL and ESPN may need to reevaluate the scheduling of future Monday night doubleheaders, particularly with late start times.
