49ers-Packers Monday Night Football Ratings Up 38 Percent Over Last Year
The San Francisco 49ers fell to the Green Bay Packers 33-30 on a last-second field goal from kicker Mason Crosby on Monday Night Football. The dramatic, late-game drama led to a massive increase in the TV viewing audience when compared to last year.
According to ESPN, last night's game earned an 8.4 overnight rating which is a 38 percent increase over the 2017 matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans that drew a 6.1. The 8.4 mark is the highest of the season for a Monday Night Football telecast, topping Week 4's dramatic comeback by Patrick Mahomes to beat the Denver Broncos.
In the San Francisco area, the network reported that the game drew a combined 16.9 rating, with the top out of market metered rating coming from Sacramento where the game drew a 14.9 mark.
The strong Monday night showing continues a good week for the primetime ratings in the league as the Chiefs-Patriots Sunday Night Football matchup posted the highest Week 6 ratings on record for the program with a 14.6 overnight rating. That was a 34 percent increase over 2017's Giants-Broncos battle, and a 62 percent rise from Week 6 of 2016 (Colts-Texans). The mark was also the highest overnight rating for Sunday Night Football since the Giants-Cowboys Week 1 matchup last season.
It's been a strong year generally for the league in ratings with the Wall Street Journal reporting last week that viewership was up three percent overall heading into the Week 6 slate.