Raiders-Saints ‘Monday Night Football’ telecast’s ratings up 31 percent from 2019

ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” telecast featuring the first home game for the Las Vegas Raiders delivered an average audience of 15.6 million viewers, marking a 31 percent year-over-year increase from the second Monday night game last year, according to the network.

The Raiders’ exciting 34-24 comeback against the New Orleans Saints was the highest-rated Monday night game since the November 2019 matchup between Seattle and San Francisco, and its second best in 24 Monday night games dating back to a Chiefs-Rams tilt in November 2018.

Monday night’s game from the Raiders’ new stadium on the strip also was the highest-rated among viewers in Las Vegas in more than a decade. It delivered a 22.1 local rating, meaning more than one-fifth of TVs in the area tuned in.

Very Welcoming: Las Vegas Scores it’s Highest Monday Night Football Local Rating in More than a Decade https://t.co/ugewbmIIX9

— Derek Volner (@DerekVolner) September 22, 2020

Next week’s Monday night game also promises to attract a big audience, with the Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs visiting the Baltimore Ravens in a matchup between the two top AFC favorites to go to the Super Bowl.

The numbers come as the SEC returns to college football on Saturday. The conference has generally drawn the largest viewership in recent years.

Defending champion LSU will host Mississippi State at 3:30 p.m. Eastern on CBS.