ESPN’s Week 2 Monday Night Football game between the Giants and Rams drew 19.4 million viewers across ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and NFL+, marking the largest Week 2 MNF audience in ESPN’s run of the franchise (2006-present). The result contributes to a 29% increase in average viewership through the first two weeks of the Super Bowl LXI season and, together with last week’s record Week 1 Broncos-Chiefs telecast, gives ESPN its most-watched Week 1 and Week 2 games across its 21 seasons managing the package.
ESPN’s Monday Night Football up 29% through two weeks of the Super Bowl LXI season Week 1 and Week 2 telecasts rank as the most-watched of their respective weeks in the ESPN era Monday Night Football’s Week 2 Giants-Rams matchup (Sept. 21, 8 p.m. ET) delivered an audience of 19.4 million viewers across ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and NFL+, making it ESPN’s most-watched Week 2 Monday Night Football telecast ever (2006-present). The record-setting audience continues a historic start to ESPN’s Super Bowl LXI season. Through the first two weeks, Monday Night Football is averaging 21.4 million viewers, up 29% compared to the first two weeks of the 2025 season. The Giants-Rams audience follows last week’s Broncos-Chiefs season opener, which became ESPN’s most-watched Week 1 Monday Night Football game ever. Together, the two telecasts now rank as the most-watched Week 1 and Week 2 Monday Night Football games in ESPN’s 21-season stewardship of the franchise. Leading into kickoff, Monday Night Countdown (6-8 p.m.) averaged 1.6 million viewers across ESPN and NFL Network. The pregame show was up 106% compared to Week 2 last season, when the program aired from 5-7 p.m. ET on ESPN, rather than its traditional timeslot, to accommodate the 2025 Monday Night Football Week 2 doubleheader. ESPN’s Super Bowl LXI season continues The strong start to the Monday Night Football season is part of ESPN’s most expansive NFL campaign ever, highlighted by 29 NFL games and coverage surrounding Super Bowl LXI. Fans can continue to watch Monday Night Football across ESPN platforms throughout the season, with Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters and Laura Rutledge leading the broadcast team. In 2025, Monday Night Football aired three games during the season’s first two weeks, including a Week 2 doubleheader. In 2026, Monday Night Football aired two games through the season’s first two weeks. Source: Nielsen Big Data + Panel
Curated by Taleb Kabbara · Source: espnpressroom.com
ABC, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, NFL+, Giants, Rams, Broncos, Chiefs, Monday Night Countdown, NFL Network, Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters, Laura Rutledge, Super Bowl LXI, Nielsen
ABC: ABC is a broadcast television network that carried the Giants-Rams Monday Night Football telecast as one of the platforms delivering the 19.4 million viewer audience.
ESPN2: ESPN2 is a cable sports network that was one of the platforms across which the Giants-Rams Monday Night Football telecast delivered a combined audience of 19.4 million viewers.
ESPN Deportes: ESPN Deportes is a Spanish-language sports network that was one of the platforms on which the Giants-Rams Monday Night Football telecast aired, contributing to a combined 19.4 million viewers.
NFL+: NFL+ is the NFL's streaming platform that simulcast the Giants-Rams Monday Night Football telecast as part of the multi-platform 19.4 million viewer audience.
Giants: Giants is an NFL franchise that played in the Week 2 Monday Night Football matchup versus the Rams.
This article is part of Prism's real-time sports business intelligence radar, which tracks sponsorships, partnerships, media rights, stadium deals, and investments across global sports. View the full intelligence profile for each company to access active analysis modules, deal timelines, and connected company networks.