The first Monday Night Football (MNF) game of the year, which saw the Kansas City Chiefs blow out the Denver Broncos, garnered huge viewership for ESPN.
ESPN reports that the Chiefs-Broncos game drew 23.2 million viewers, which is the âÂÂmost-watchedâ Week 1 MNF game of all time in the network's era, which began in 2006. It is the third most-watched game in the ESPN MNF era as well.
Additionally, the pre-game show, Monday Night Countdown, garnered 1.9 million viewers. That is the most-watched Week 1 episode since 2010.
This is a great sign for ESPN. The network hosts the Super Bowl this season, and the season is already off to a hot start with the first MNF game.
ESPN's first NFL MNF game of the year between the Chiefs and the Broncos
The Chiefs steamrolled the Broncos in the first Monday Night Football game of the year. They won 31-10, and it was not close after the first quarter, which ended 7-7.
Kansas City scored a touchdown on a 10-play, 80-yard drive before halftime, putting them up 14-7. They opened the third quarter with another touchdown and scored a field goal two possessions later. The Chiefs once again scored a touchdown on the opening drive of the fourth quarter.
The addition of Kenneth Walker III paid off big time for the Chiefs. He is the reigning Super Bowl MVP, and Walker played like it, rushing for 173 yards on 23 carries. He scored two touchdowns â one on the ground on a long 60-yard scamper, and one through the air.
Patrick Mahomes returned from a torn ACL injury he suffered in December 2025. Meanwhile, Bo Nix, who was also making his return from a leg injury, returned to the lineup. He opened his third season in the NFL with an interception, and he only passed for 131 yards in the entire game.