ESPN’s Monday Night Football 2024 season opener averaged 20.5 million viewers (ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes, and NFL+) for the San Francisco 49ers’ 32-19 win over the New York Jets (September 9, 8:15 p.m. ET). The audience is Monday Night Football‘s second-most-watched Week 1 matchup in ESPN’s 19 seasons airing the legendary television franchise (2006–present, 34 games).
The three seasons of Monday Night Football with Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Lisa Salters on the mic have scored as the three most-watched Week 1 games in the ESPN era. The trio was joined this season by Laura Rutledge on site in San Francisco.
ESPN’s Most-Watched Week 1 MNF Games
| Rank | Season | Matchup | Viewership |
| 1 | 2023 | Buffalo Bills at New York Jets | 22.7 million |
| 2 | 2024 | New York Jets at San Francisco 49ers | 20.5 million |
| 3 | 2022 | Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks | 19.8 million |
Overall, there have been 34 Week 1 games on ESPN platforms due to doubleheaders in most seasons.
Monday Night Football Continues Momentum of Top Games
The strong start to the 2024 season campaign continues the momentum for Monday Night Football. Accounting for all weeks, the Jets-49ers is the sixth-most-watched Monday Night Football game in the ESPN era, with four of the preceding five occurring during the 2023 season.
Monday Night Countdown Draws 1.3 Million Viewers
Leading into the game, Monday Night Countdown (6-8 p.m. ET) averaged 1.3 million viewers, as Ryan Clark, Jason Kelce, and Marcus Spears joined Scott Van Pelt for the crew’s first on-site show together. Adam Schefter also appeared on the programming from Levi’s Stadium.
