Texans vs Ravens ESPN’s most-watched NFL game ever
January 23, 2024
ESPN’s NFL Divisional Playoff presentation was a record-setting showdown for the US sports network, marking consecutive years in which the final game of the season was its most-watched NFL game ever, playoffs or regular season, dating back to 1987 when ESPN acquired NFL rights.
With a US audience of 31.8 million – based on Nielsen fast nationals – Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens on January 20th surpassed the 2023 Super Wild Card Monday night game featuring the Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (January 16th 2023) for ESPN’s top spot. ESPN notes that the audience figure is expected to elevate to more than 32 million when Nielsen reports final numbers later this week.
The Texans-Ravens audience peaked at 36.2 million viewers in the third quarter (6:30 – 6:45 p.m. ET).
ESPN’s Five Most-Watched Games Ever Have Aired in Previous 13 Months; Multiple Monday Night Football Games Amongst the Records
With the addition of this season’s ESPN’s Super Wild Card Monday night game (Eagles at Buccaneers), ESPN’s three most-recent playoff games are also its three most-watched NFL games ever.
Inclusive of all NFL games, regular season and playoffs, ESPN has aired its five most-watched NFL games ever in the past 13 months (January 2023 to January 2024) and six of the seven highest-viewed games, buoyed by a record-setting 2023 Monday Night Football season.