Weekly Cable Ratings: ‘Monday Night Football’ Helps ESPN Score Primetime Win

Zach Charbonnet #26 of the Seattle Seahawks carries the ball during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on October 2, 2023
Zach Charbonnet #26 of the Seattle Seahawks carries the ball during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on October 2, 2023 (Image credit: Getty Images)

ESPN, bolstered by Monday Night Football, last week reclaimed the top spot on the cable primetime ratings chart from Fox News Channel. 

ESPN averaged 2.6 million viewers in primetime for the week of October 2 to October 8 to finish first among all cable networks, according to Nielsen numbers supplied by Fox News. The sports network was paced by its Oct. 2 Seattle Seahawks-New York Giants Monday Night Football telecast, which drew 6.5 million viewers. The game, won by the Seahawks, also aired live on ABC.

Fox News Channel, after a two-week run at the top of the primetime chart, finished second with 2.0 million viewers, followed by MSNBC’s 1.4 million viewers. 

The opening round of the Major League Baseball playoffs bolstered several networks to top 10 primetime finishes, including TBS, which finished fourth with 925,000 viewers; ESPN2, which pulled into sixth place with 825,000 viewers; and FS1, which climbed to 10th place with 625,000 watchers. 

Hallmark Channel finished fifth with 826,000 viewers, while HGTV was seventh with 781,000 viewers. CNN (779,000 viewers) and INSP (633,000) rounded out the list. 

On a 24-hour basis, Fox News topped all networks with 1.2 million viewers, followed by MSNBC (977,000), ESPN (927,000), CNN (610,000) and Hallmark Channel (428,000), reported Nielsen. 

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.