The eternal debate between NFL and NBA fans received a fresh jolt of energy following the latest viewership numbers. ESPN’s Monday Night Football, showcasing a gripping encounter between the Cincinnati Bengals and Jacksonville Jaguars, drew a colossal audience of 16.5 million viewers across multiple platforms.
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This figure was not only a 46% increase from last year’s comparable Week 13 game but also marked the most-watched Week 13 MNF game since 2010. In contrast, the NBA’s in-season tournament featuring the Celtics vs. Pacers attracted just over a million views, highlighting a stark difference in viewership and fan engagement. Sports analyst Ari Meirov highlighted this comparison on X,
Monday night’s #Bengals–#Jaguars game drew 16.48 million viewers, marking a 46% increase from ESPN’s Week 13 game in 2022.
It was the most-watched telecast of the night.
The NBA’s in-season tournament featuring Celtics-Pacers garnered 1.06 million viewers, while Kings -… pic.twitter.com/Bm0YXgANPF
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 5, 2023
The fans were quick and quirky in the comment box. A user commented, “NFL rules all it seems!”
NFL rules all it seems
— Cory (@Cory_Hays407) December 6, 2023
Another one mentioned, “Basketball fell so hard. The NFL is on top.”
Basketball fell off so hard. NFL is on top
— Last Take™ (@TheRealLastTake) December 5, 2023
A comment read, “NFL is King,”
NFL is king
— ✭ Jazz ✭ (@jazzlynn626) December 5, 2023
and another one read, “NFL 16x more than NBA now.”
NFL 16x more than NBA wow
— 🙂 (@LRH388) December 5, 2023
A fan wrote, “Basketball is still the better sport, idc.”
basketball still the better sport idc
— Chri$ (@ChrisWithTheW) December 5, 2023
WWE Maintains Grip: Outshines NBA
WWE Raw’s numbers also surpassed the ones of the NBA at the same time. After a splendid spike in viewers the preceding week, Raw settled and returned to its everyday variety, averaging 1.53 million visitors and drawing a 0.49 score in the 18-49 demographic.
This overall performance was especially noteworthy given its competition with both the NFL and NBA for audience attention. While the NFL’s target market experienced awesome growth, especially among young viewers, the NBA and WWE witnessed shifts in their target audience demographics.
Despite a moderate drop in universal visitors from the preceding year, WWE Raw saw a big rise in the 18-34 demographic, indicating a growing attraction amongst younger audiences. In the world of sports, the battle for viewers’ attention is always intense. On this specific evening, the NFL was the undisputed champion in terms of attracting viewers.
