Quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens throws in opposition to the Las Vegas Raiders through the first half of their sport at Allegiant Stadium on September 13, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Chris Unger | Getty Photographs
The Nationwide Soccer League ended the primary week of its 2021 common season drawing a mean of 15.29 million viewers throughout ESPN channels, together with ABC community, for the Monday Evening Soccer opener between the Las Vegas Raiders and Baltimore Ravens.
The Raiders beat the Ravens 33-27 in a back-and-forth additional time sport with a number of twists to conclude Week 1. Viewership was up 42% in comparison with final yr’s sport, and high markets included Baltimore, Las Vegas, Sacramento, Kansas Metropolis, and San Diego.
The 2020 MNF contest between the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers attracted a mean of solely 10.76 million viewers. With the pandemic taking part in an element, that game was down roughly 17% in comparison with the primary sport of ESPN’s 2019 Week 1 doubleheader, which featured the New Orleans Saints and Houston Texans and averaged 13.2 million viewers on ESPN channels.
On Monday, ESPN additionally debuted its alternate MegaCast that includes Peyton and Eli Manning offering commentary for the Raiders-Ravens sport on its ESPN2 channel. The telecast attracted 800,000 viewers. The Manning brothers signed a three-year take care of Disney-owned ESPN which can characteristic the pair providing their ideas and in-game breakdowns through the NFL season.
Cleveland Browns working again Nick Chubb (24) finds a gap within the line in opposition to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs on September twelfth at GEHA subject at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas Metropolis, Missouri.
William Purnell | Icon Sportswire | Getty Photographs
In the meantime, Sunday’s nationwide NFL sport on ViacomCBS that includes the Cleveland Browns and Kansas Metropolis Chiefs averaged 19.53 million viewers. It was the most-watched opening weekend nationwide sport on CBS because the 2015 opener between the Ravens and Denver Broncos contest (23.28 million viewers).
Fox Sports activities’ averaged 16.23 million viewers for its Inexperienced Bay Packers vs. New Orleans Saints nationwide sport. That is down from final yr’s nationwide opener between the Saints and Tampa Bay Bucs, which featured a star quarterback matchup between Drew Brees and Tom Brady, and averaged 25.8 million viewers.
The community entered the NFL opener after drawing 7.7 million viewers for its Saturday Oregon vs Ohio State faculty sport.
The NFL commenced its 102nd season final Thursday with a mean of 26 million whole viewers for its Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Dallas Cowboys contest. NBC mentioned the sport peaked on TV at 25.4 million viewers between 9:45 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET. The 2021 opener marked a 20% improve in whole viewership from final yr’s NFL kickoff that includes the Chiefs and Texans.
Total, the NFL mentioned it is Week 1 video games mixed averaged 17.4 million viewers, and drew “roughly” 100 million viewers in whole throughout all video games.
Disclosure: NBC Sports activities, which shares mother or father firm NBCUniversal with CNBC, broadcasts NFL video games.
