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"MNF" Gets Ratings Boost On ESPN Thanks To "Star Wars" Trailer Debut During Halftime

ESPN used its Disney ties to generate a boost in "MNF" overnights, as the halftime debut of the trailer for "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," led to an 8% ratings increase year over year. The Vikings' 20-17 win over the Bears last night generated a 7.0 overnight on ESPN, up from a 6.5 for last year's comparable Buccaneers-Panthers matchup in Week 5. Last night's telecast peaked with an 8.3 rating between 9:45-10:00pm ET, coinciding with the halftime debut of the trailer. Last night's game earned a combined 36.4 rating in Minneapolis-St. Paul (11.0 on ESPN, 25.4 on WCO-CBS) and a 23.3 in Chicago (10.6 on ESPN, 12.7 on WGN-Ind.). Season to date, "MNF" is averaging an 8.0 overnight rating, up 5% from a 7.6 to this point in '16 (Josh Carpenter, Assistant Editor).

JEDI MIND TRICKS: "Star Wars" was a constant presence during last night's game, with a group of Stormtroopers marching onto the field at halftime and another Stormtrooper appearing in the broadcast booth with ESPN’s Sean McDonough. McDonough said, “I’m joined by (a) First Order Stormtrooper. The world has been holding its breath waiting for the debut of the trailer.” After the trailer was aired, McDonough said, “In anticipation of the ‘Star Wars’ movies, excitement (is) all over the world” (“MNF,” ESPN, 10/9).

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On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

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SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

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