Last month, ESPN’s Monday Night Football went up against the first presidential debate, and the football game barely lived to tell the tale. That night, more than 80 million people watched the debate, dooming MNF to record-low viewership.
The latest
As it turns out, Giants-Packers did all right, drawing a 10.2 overnight rating, per Sports TV Ratings.
While that’s down versus the 13.1 overnight for the week 5 matchup last year (49ers-Giants), considering it was up against Trunp/Clinton debate two, it held up well. The game was down 7% from last week’s Steelers-Chiefs blowout that averaged an 11.0 overnight.
The debate, per Fox Sports’ Michael Mulvihill, took a dive, both compared to last debate and the second Obama-Romney debate in 2012.
37.2 overnight rating and 53 share for the 2nd debate.
-19% lower than the 1st debate (46.2/63)
-7% lower than 2012 2nd debate (40.0/57)
— Michael Mulvihill (@mulvihill79) October 10, 2016
Sports TV Ratings points out that the debate was likely hurt somewhat by the fact that it did not air on NBC, due to Sunday Night Football, so the impact goes both ways.
Still, it’s pretty obvious the effect the debate had on the game’s rating. Again, via Sports TV Ratings:
The debate aired from 9-10:30p ET. Here are the half hour Sunday Night Football #s from 8:30-11p ET:
8:30: 12.1
9:00: 10.1
9:30: 9.4
10:00: 8.3
10:30: 10.3
Obviously NBC’s Giants-Packers rating is nothing to brag about, but the network must be pleased its game didn’t get entirely smothered the way last week’s Monday Night Football broadcast was. In a year of bad news for NFL viewership, that’s some small consolation.
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About Alex Putterman
Alex is a writer and editor for The Comeback and Awful Announcing. He has written for The Atlantic, VICE Sports, MLB.com, SI.com and more. He is a proud alum of Northwestern University and The Daily Northwestern. You can find him on Twitter @AlexPutterman.