MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL Viewership Dips. This Is Why.
By Movieguide® Contributor
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL pulled in over 20 million viewers for its season opener — a dip in numbers as Disney and DirecTV continue to hash out their carriage dispute.
MSN reported that MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL “averaged 20.5 million viewers across ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes and NFL+,” a number that’s lower than last year’s season opener.
Additionally, MSN wrote that this year’s game was “the sixth-most-watched MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL game in the ESPN era, with four of the preceding five occurring during the 2023 season.”
The San Francisco 49ers won against the New York Jets, 32-19. However, many football fans were unable to watch the game.
Disney-owned networks went dark for DirecTV users on Sept. 1 as the companies continue to battle over fees and bundling. They have not come to an agreement yet, but CNBC reported that “negotiations are still ongoing and a deal could come as early as this week, people familiar with the matter said.”
A Disney spokesperson said, “We remain at the table negotiating with DirecTV and the restoration of our programming to their subscribers is completely within their control.”
However, a DirecTV spokesperson said they rejected the offer, still holding out for the option of a “skinner” bundle to offer subscribers.
Movieguide® previously reported on the carriage dispute:
DirecTV and Disney are still struggling to come to an agreement as they continue carriage renewal discussions.
“They have not engaged in earnest on proposals we’ve made to them,” Justin Connolly, President of Disney Platform Distribution, told Deadline, referring to talks about customized channel packages. “They’re trying to lay the blame for their lack of investment in their platform at the feet of programmers.”
However, Chief Content Officer of DirecTV Rob Thun says negotiations have been influenced by the recent shut-down of Disney’s joint sports-streaming platform Venu, launched in partnership with Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery.
