Monday Night Football Ratings Face uncertainty After YouTube TV Outage
The week 9 Monday Night Football matchup between the Arizona Cardinals and dallas Cowboys is poised to deliver a possibly revealing ratings report, complex by a widespread blackout for YouTube TV subscribers. Millions were unable to view the game due to a carriage dispute between Disney and YouTube TV,raising questions about how significantly the outage will impact viewership numbers traditionally released by ESPN on Wednesdays.
The situation highlights the growing tension between media companies and streaming providers, and the direct impact on sports fans. A lower-than-expected monday Night Football rating could strengthen Disney’s negotiating position in ongoing disputes, while a surprisingly robust number might suggest the game’s popularity transcends platform availability. The outcome will be closely watched by both sides, and by other streaming services and broadcasters navigating similar negotiations.
Initial data suggests the dispute is already affecting ESPN/ABC programming. According to Bryan Fischer of Sports Illustrated, College GameDay viewership dropped from 2.5 million the previous Saturday to 2 million, a 20-percent decrease. ABC’s Saturday afternoon game windows also experienced declines: the prior weekend averaged 6.6 million, 7.8 million, and 6.8 million viewers, respectively, compared to 4.5 million, 7.8 million, and 4.8 million the following week.
ESPN will likely compare this year’s Monday Night Football numbers to both recent weeks of 2023 games and to last year’s Week 9 contest featuring the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Kansas City Chiefs. Both games featured nationally recognized franchises, offering a comparable benchmark.
It’s also critically important to note that this year’s ratings will be calculated using Nielsen’s updated Big Data + Panel formula, a methodology that has generally led to increased viewership figures across broadcast television. Whether ESPN ultimately releases the numbers at its usual time, and how those numbers are presented, remains to be seen. The final viewership tally will inevitably emerge, offering a crucial data point in the evolving landscape of sports broadcasting and streaming.
