Topline
The highly anticipated Super Bowl rematch between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles was the most-watched Monday Night Football game in 27 years, according to ESPN, drawing some 29 million viewers—more than three times the number of viewers who watched the first game of this year’s World Series.
Philadelphia Eagles safety Kevin Byard talks to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. (Photo by … [+]
Key Facts
The game, which the Eagles won 21-17, brought in 29,021,000 viewers, marking Monday Night Football’s best viewership since the Brett Favre-led Green Bay Packers and Troy Aikman-led Dallas Cowboys squared off in 1996.
It was the most-watched game in the era of ESPN broadcasting rights for Monday Night Football, which started in 2006.
The historic viewership stat also spans more than 450 Monday Night Football games, according to ESPN.
The Super Bowl rematch came down to the last quarter, when Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and company failed to score on their last possession after being shut out by Philadelphia’s defense for the game’s second half.
The Eagles improved to 9-1 on the season while the Chief fell to 7-3, dropping from the AFC’s No. 1 position.
Big Number
31.2 million. That was the peak viewership for the Monday night matchup, according to ESPN.
Key Background
Anticipation around the game was fueled by the teams’ last encounter in Super Bowl LVII, when the Chiefs defeated the Eagles 38-35, along with their impressive records this season—both were at the top of their conferences going into the game. Super Bowl LVII raked in 115 million viewers, making it the most-watched U.S.-based telecast of all-time. Anticipation was also built around the matchup between the Kelce brothers, with Eagles center Jason Kelce, 36, and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, 34, considered among the best players at their positions in the NFL. Travis Kelce’s popularity and jersey sales have skyrocketed in recent months thanks to his confirmed relationship with Taylor Swift. The superstar singer-songwriter has attended multiple Chiefs games in recent months but wasn’t in attendance for Monday’s game because of a rescheduled show in Brazil, according to Cosmopolitan. Jason Kelce was recently named a finalist for People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive.
Further Reading
The NFL (And Travis Kelce) Is Benefitting From The Taylor Swift Effect (Forbes)
Monday Night football: Eagles rally past Chiefs as late miscues cost Kansas City (Yahoo Sports)
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2023/11/21/monday-night-football-scores-highest-viewership-since-1996-for-chiefs-eagles-super-bowl-rematch/