ESPN earned a 9.2 overnight rating for the Lions’ blowout “MNF” win over the Giants last night, down 21% from an 11.6 figure for Eagles-Redskins in the same window last year, which was the net's best "MNF" opener since it acquired NFL rights prior to the '06 season. In Detroit, last night's game generated a 10.3 overnight on ESPN and a 20.3 on WXYZ-ABC. In N.Y., the game earned a 7.3 overnight on ESPN and a 9.3 rating on WABC. Meanwhile, the late window Chargers-Cardinals “MNF” matchup drew a 7.8 overnight for ESPN, up from a 7.7 for last year’s Texans-Chargers game. In San Diego, Chargers-Cardinals delivered a 19.1 rating on ESPN and a 15.6 number on KUSI-Ind. In Phoenix, ESPN earned a 15.7 local rating, while the game garnered an 11.3 on KTVK-Ind. (Josh Carpenter, Staff Writer).
A MIGHTY WIND: In Chicago, Ed Sherman wrote while Sunday "was an ideal early September day" in the city, the majority of residents were “staying indoors to watch the Bears season opener.” WFLD-Fox earned a 30.3 local rating in Chicago for the Bills-Bears OT game. The game peaked at a 34.9 rating in OT. With expectations “high for the Bears, the huge rating hardly comes as a surprise.” However, “if the Bears’ disappointing loss is a sign of things to come, it could be bad news for the local and national networks,” as the team’s next two games are on NBC and ESPN (CHICAGOTRIBUNE.com, 9/8).
MIDSEASON FORM: In Charlotte, Erik Spanberg wrote the Panthers-Buccaneers game “trounced the rest of the sports TV lineup” in the Charlotte market on Sunday. The telecast drew 515,000 viewers in the market. Last season, the team’s games “never reached an audience of 500,000 until November” (BIZJOURNALS.com, 9/8).
