The Week 3 Monday night game between the Eagles and Bears racked up 22.6 million viewers on the Disney family of networks. The Week 4 Monday night game between the Falcons and Saints did almost half that number.
Via ESPN, the latest Monday night game on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN Deportes attracted a total average audience of 11.9 million.
It’s a surprising drop in audience, especially in light of the significance of the game. It happened 20 years after the return of the Saints to the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina, with a 23-3 win over Atlanta sparked by a blocked punt by Steve Gleason that is immortalized in a statue outside the stadium. There was extensive focus, and rightfully so, on the relevance of the 2026 rematch.
Ultimately, the game has to hold the audience. The Falcons led 24-7 at the half, en route to a 45-24 win. By then, it was easy for many to check out.
Through the first three weeks, Monday Night Football had averaged 21.8 million viewers. The Week 4 game pulls the average down 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.