"Monday Night Football" Helps ESPN Win the Night

Last night's Monday Night Football game - a Pittsburgh Steelers' 30-23 victory over the Houston Texans - helped ESPN win the night among all networks in viewers, households and all key male and adult demos. The game ranked as the top telecast of the night across cable and broadcast among the key male demos, as well as adults 18-34 and 18-49.

The game averaged an 8.1 household US rating, 9,483,000 households and 13,275,000 viewers (P2+), according to Nielsen. It peaked from 9:45-10 p.m. with a 9.1 rating and 15,124,000 viewers.

In Houston, the game delivered a 14.3 rating on ESPN and a 13.0 on KIAH-CW, for a combined 27.3 rating in the market. In Pittsburgh, the game delivered a 10.8 rating on ESPN and a 27.8 on WTAE-ABC, for a combined 38.5 rating in the market.

The top 10 metered markets (in addition to those of the competing teams) included: Las Vegas (15.1), Sacramento (12.2), San Diego (12.2), Baltimore (12.1), Norfolk (11.0), New Orleans (11.0), San Antonio (10.8), Richmond (10.7), Indianapolis (10.6) and Jacksonville (10.5).

Through the first seven weeks (eight games), ESPN's Monday Night Football is averaging an 8.3 household US rating; 9,618,000 households and 13,355,000 viewers.

MNF on ESPN Deportes

The Texans-Steelers telecast on ESPN Deportes, ESPN's Spanish-language sports network, averaged a 0.4 Hispanic Household US rating with 66,000 Hispanic Household impressions, an increase of 14 percent over the Week 7 game last year, and 86,000 Hispanic P2+ impressions. Season-to-date, MNF on ESPN Deportes is averaging a 0.4 Hispanic Household US rating, a 100 percent gain, with 59,000 Hispanic Household impressions and 87,000 Hispanic P2+ impressions, increases of 73 percent and 85 percent, respectively.

ESPN Digital

On WatchESPN, the game reached 313,000 unique viewers (up 87 percent compared to week 7 last year) while logging 21.5 million minutes viewed (up 76 percent). The game had an average minute audience of 106,000 (up 76 percent). Additionally, it drove ESPN as the most social network for the seventh straight Monday, in addition to MNF as the most social program for the day.

ESPN's NFL coverage on digital platforms also attracted an average minute audience of 687,000 on Sunday (up 13 percent). In addition, ESPN Fantasy Football content across ESPN.com (computers, smartphones and tablets) and the app logged an average minute audience of 353,000 on Sunday (up 38 percent) and generated 42 percent of ESPN's total digital audience for the day. The app alone had 5.2 million unique visitors on Sunday, up 25 percent.

Next Week: Tony Romo and Dallas Cowboys host NFC East Rival Washington Redskins on MNF

Next week, ESPN's MNF returns when Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys - sporting an NFL-best 6-1 record - host the Washington Redskins, Oct. 27 at 8:15 p.m. ET (kickoff at 8:30 p.m.). This will be the 16th Monday meeting between the longtime NFC East rivals, second only to Raiders-Broncos (17 games) in MNF's 45 seasons.