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'Monday Night
Football' in cable record

Vikings-Packers game most watched show ever

By Toni Fitzgerald
Oct 7, 2009

The Minnesota Vikings scored a narrow win over the Green Bay Packers Monday night. ESPN's victory was much bigger.

The network's much-hyped "Monday Night Football" game between the Vikings and Packers became the most-watched cable show of all time, obliterating the old record.

"MNF" averaged 21.8 million total viewers, surpassing the mark set by the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles last year on ESPN by 17 percent. That game averaged 18.6 million total viewers.

It marked the third time in three seasons that ESPN has reset the record. Two years ago a game between the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots averaged a then-record 17.5 million.

Monday's "MNF" also set a record for the highest-rated football game ever on the network, averaging a 15.3 among households, according to Nielsen.

That bettered a 1987 game between the Vikings and Chicago Bears that averaged a 14.4 during ESPN's first season carrying the NFL.

The record was anything but unexpected. Vikings quarterback and future Hall of Famer Brett Favre was facing his former squad for the first time since retiring and then unretiring in 2008.

The ESPN hype machine went into overtime, featuring countless pregame previews and reports. But other sports news outlets also went nuts in anticipation of the game, which only helped drive up viewership.

Favre had a solid outing in the game, which Minnesota won 30-23, throwing for three touchdowns and 271 yards.

Toni Fitzgerald is a staff writer for Media Life.	© 2009 Media Life Magazine

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