The resurgence of America's Team -- until it ran into its rival with the controversial nickname -- helped ESPN register its highest-rated and most-watched Monday Night Football telecast since 2009 and 2010, respectively.

The worldwide leader's presentation of the Dallas Cowboys-Washington Redskins game averaged an 11.4 household rating, 13.3 million households and 18.8 million watchers, according to Nielsen data. Those were the franchise's top deliveries since the New Orleans Saints-New England Patriots matchup on Nov. 30, 2009 posted a 12.9 rating and the Saints-Atlanta Falcons game on Dec. 27, 2010 notched 19.1 million watchers. According to ESPN officials, Dallas-Washington on a live+same-day basis now stands as the seventh- and ninth-most watched telecasts in cable history from household and viewer perspectives (see charts below).

With the performance, MNF  was TV's top telecast of the night across cable and broadcast in viewers, households and all key male and adult demos, helping ESPN win the night among all networks in those same categories.

The Oct. 27 telecast peaked with a 13.6 rating and 22.5 million watchers during the 11:30 p.m. quarter, when the Colt McCoy-led Redskins put the finishing touches on their 20-17 blitz of an injured Tony Romo and the 'Boys.

In Washington, D.C., the game generated a 17.8 rating on ESPN and a 12.6 on WDCA-IND, for a combined 30.4 rating in the market. In Dallas, the game tackled a 14.0 rating on ESPN and a 22.6 on WFAA-ABC, for a combined 36.6 rating in the market.

Boosted by the big numbers from the thriller at AT&T Stadium, ESPN's MNF average through eight weeks and nine games rose 4% to an 8.6 rating from an 8.3 at the same stage of the 2013 campaign, and 10.05 million households, 5% more than the 9.59 million households last season. MNF's average audience improved 7% to 13.98 million watchers from 13.07 million.

For its part, Spanish-language service ESPN Deportes averaged a 0.7 Hispanic household rating with 100,000 impressions, and 128,000 Latino viewers, increases of 213% and 191% respectively, over the corresponding game last season.  'Skins-'Boys ranks as most-watched MNF game of the season and second most-watched NFL game ever on ESPN Deportes among Hispanic households, and fourth among viewers.

Season-to-date, MNF on ESPN Deportes has averaged a 0.4 Hispanic rating, up 100% percent, with 63,000 Hispanic household impressions and 92,000 Latino 2+ viewers, respective gains of 85% and 96%.

Digitally, Washington-Dallas was the most-watched MNF game ever on WatchESPN, with an average minute audience of nearly 145,000  -- 180% above week 8 last year. There were 421,000 unique viewers, marking 196% amelioration, and 30.6 million total live minutes viewed, a 203% surge.

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Top 10 Most-Viewed Programs in Cable Television History (Households):

Top 10 Most-Viewed Programs in Cable Television History (Viewers):

Source: ESPN and Nielsen data.

Despite Tom Brady's second worst loss as a pro, ESPN still managed to ring up its second-largest Monday Night Football telecast of the season.

The worldiwide leader's presentation of the Kansas City Chiefs' 41-14 throttling of the New England Patriots averaged an 8.8 household rating, 10.2 million households and 14.4 million watchers, according to Nielsen data. The telecast peaked in the 9:30 quarter hour with a 10.2 rating and over 17 million viewers. During the second half, coach Bill Belichick benched Brady (pictured) after a series of turnovers.

The Sept. 29 telecast, which ranked only behind the 14.9 million who saw the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Indianapolis Colts in the waning moments of MNF on Sept. 15, helped ESPN win the night among all networks in households, viewers 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 Patriots-Chiefs game averaged an 8.8 household US rating, representing 10,219,000 households and 14,426,000 viewers (P2+), according to Nielsen. It peaked from 9:30-9:45 p.m. with a 10.2 rating and 17,012,000 viewers.

In the Boston DMA, the telecast delivered a 9.7 rating on ESPN, and a 1.8 on WMUR-ABC and 18.7 on WCVB-ABC, for a combined 30.1 rating. In Kansas City, the contest delivered a 13.9 rating on ESPN and a 29.8 on KMBC-ABC, for a combined 43.7 rating in the market

Through the first four weeks and five games, ESPN’s MNF has averaged an 8.4 household US rating; 9.75 million households and almost 13.6 million viewers.

Nick Foles led the Philadelphia Eagles to a last-second comeback against the Indianapolis Colts and ESPN benefited from the thrilling contest as Monday Night Football drew just under 15 million watchers.

The Sept. 15 telecast averaged 14.9 million viewers from 8:15-11:30 p.m. (ET), according to Nielsen data. That was up 4% from the 14.3 million viewers who watched the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals in the corresponding MNF telecast last season.

The Eagles-Colts telecast averaged a 9.2 household U.S. rating and 10.7 million households. It peaked in the 9:30 p.m. quarter hour with a 10.2 rating and just under 17 million viewers.

The delivery helped ESPN win the night among all networks – broadcast or cable – in households, viewers and all key male and adult demos. The MNF game also ranked as the top telecast of the night across cable and broadcast in those same categories.

Through the first two weeks and three games, MNF is averaging an 8.2 rating, 9.59 million households and nearly 13.4 million watchers, down from an 8.8 rating and 14.1 million viewers at the same stage of the 2013 campaign.

Although the worldwide leader scored with 13.7 million viewers with its coverage of the Detroit Lions’ demolition of the New York Giants in the 2014 season opener, the Sept. 8 telecast was down 17% from its first game of the 2013 MNF schedule, when 16.5 million saw Chip Kelly lead the Eagles past NFC East rivals, the Washington Redskins, by a 33-27 count, in his coaching debut.

That record audience for a MNF opener, combined with 10.9 million for Houston-San Diego in the nightcap, to give ESPN an average audience of 13.7 million, the top performance since it began airing the doubleheader format in 2006, when it acquired the franchise from ABC.

Sept. 8’s second game – an 18-17 win by the Arizona Cardinals over the Chargers – averaged 11.5 million viewers, up 5.5% from 10.9 million a year ago.

http://www.multichannel.com/news/content/mnf-doubleheader-kicks-season-1...

As the story and ramifications about Ray Rice’s reprehensible actions morph into the NFL’s investigation of the matter and perhaps the job status of commissioner Roger Goodell, the Baltimore Ravens host the Pittsburgh Steelers in the league’s first ever Thursday (non-Thanksgiving) night game on a broadcast network.

The Sept. 11 game would have been historic its own right, as the NFL, looking to build its footprint on an important night for television and Madison Avenue, awarded a package to CBS. For a reported $275 million in rights fees, the nation’s most-viewed network will air games during the first half of the season that will be simulcast on NFL Network. The back end of the schedule will feature games produced by CBS that will air on NFL Network and broadcast stations in the participating teams’ home markets.

Last season, NFL Network averaged 8 million for its 13-game TNF package, including viewers from over-the-air stations in the participating teams’ markets. The audience ante will jump considerably with CBS in the huddle.

In hindsight, the league's schedule-makers did or didn’t do CBS/NFLN a favor with Rice’s former club engaged in a rivalry game against AFC North nemeis Pittsburgh, as the industry gets a first look at how the NFL may play long-term and reshape broadcast on Thursdays.

As the media furor and indignation of Rice’s knockout blow of his then fiancée, now wife, Janay in the elevator of the now defunct Revel in Atlantic City continues to boil and NOW’s president Terry O’Neill, among others, is calling for Goodell to fall on his shield, the mess now turns to possible disillusionment from the fan base – especially on women's side of the ball – for viewership of Baltimore-Pttisburgh, the games this weekend or beyond.

Since it’s a first of its ilk, there aren’t CBS TNF Nielsens to compare from last season. But perhaps we can get a sense of distaff disconnect with the pro football league if female viewing trends negatively – with sponsors potentially following.

According to a Ratings Intelligence analysis of Nielsen data, females represented 34.65% of the audience for the NFL’s national games during the 2013 regular season, versus 65.35% for men.

A breakdown of the data indicates that NBC’s Sunday Night Football was the top primetime show during the 2013-14 TV season with an average audience of 21.7 million viewers, including 7.5 million female watchers, or 35% of its tally. SNF was also the top show in TV among women 18 to 34 and for the first time ever among ladies 18 to 49.

ESPN’s Monday Night Football averaged 13.7 million watchers during the 2013 campaign, 4.2 million of whom were women, or 30.5% of its total.

On Sunday afternoons, the ratios were higher. Fox’s national games counted 27.1 million viewers, with 9.8 million women in the tent, 36.4% of its average audience.

CBS, meanwhile, garnered 24.9 million watchers for its national telecasts, including 9.1 million women, or 36.7% of its base.

As the NFL kicks off the second week of its 2014 campaign, the national spotlight and megaphone are squarely on what has been the shadowy, silent and significant problem that is domestic violence.

We’ll soon see if the outcry of the burgeoning Rice/Goodell fiasco has any impact on TV’s most popular entertainment form.

Take the under on that proposition.