ESPN's Jets-Titans "MNF" Sees Overnight Rating Drop 27% From Week 15 Last Year

ESPN earned a 7.9 overnight Nielsen rating for last night’s Jets-Titans “MNF” telecast, down 27% from a 10.8 overnight for Steelers-49ers in Week 15 last year. In N.Y., the game earned an 8.1 local rating on ESPN and a 3.7 rating on WWOR-Ind. In Nashville, the game earned a 9.8 local rating on ESPN and a 17.2 rating on WKRN-ABC (Austin Karp, THE DAILY).

EFFECTS FROM NEWTOWN: In Akron, George Thomas wrote NBC made the “proper call” in pre-empting the start of “Sunday Night Football” so that its news department could broadcast President Obama’s remarks on the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Thomas: “Make no mistake. NBC made the right call in temporarily moving” the start of the 49ers-Patriots game to the NBC Sports Network and CNBC (OHIO.com, 12/17). In N.Y., Bob Raissman writes reporting news of “senseless deaths isn’t exactly part of the job description for cast members of NFL pregame shows,” but they have “had to deal with it more than ever this season.” Whether it was ESPN’s Chris Berman, CBS’ James Brown or Fox’ Curt Menefee, they “all chose their words carefully, delivering them in somber, but moving, tones” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 12/18).