ESPN's 'Monday Night Football' Ratings Slip Nearly 10%

Joe Faraoni/ESPN

"Monday Night Football"

ESPN's mega-successful Monday Night Football franchise has taken a significant hit in the ratings.

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According to Nielsen data, the cable sports channel slipped almost 10 percent in general viewership in 2011 for its NFL tentpole telecast's sixth season. It represents quite a drop off from last year when Monday Night Football broke ratings records in season five.

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This year, ESPN averaged 13.3 million viewers, a 9.7 cable rating, an 8.4 U.S. rating and 9.59 million households for the 17 "Monday Night Football" airings. In 2010, the network scored a record-setting average cable rating of 10.5, attracting 10.49 million households and 14.7 million viewers.

Despite the drop, the game remains cable's most-watched program since ESPN picked up the primetime franchise from ABC six seasons ago. Here are some 2011 stats: "Monday Night Football" accounted for 13 of cable's highest-rated programs; it's been the No. 1 network on Mondays in the men's 18-to-34 and 18-to-49 demographics; and ESPN ranked first for men ages 25-to-54 on 15 Mondays and No. 1 among adults in that demo for 10 weeks.

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The Dec. 26 showdown between the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons resulted in ESPN's fifth-largest audience this season; 15.6 million viewers tuned in to watch Drew Brees break Dan Marino's NFL yardage record for a single season. The game had a 10.6 cable rating and 9.2 U.S. rating and reached 10.5 million households. The Saints-Falcons matchup on Dec. 27, 2010, attracted 19 million viewers, the third-biggest "Monday Night Football" audience ever.