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Monday Night Football Is Rigged

THE RATINGS

Monday Night Football on the Ropes? - An article written in 1998 about MNF's ratings decline

Monday Night Football Producer Calls it Quits - In 2001, Don Ohlmeyer quits MNF after trying to revive the game's format with the likes of Dennis Miller, Eric Dickerson and Dan Fouts.

Year   MNF Average Rating (from espn.com)
1970   18.5
1971   20.0
1972   21.0
1973   21.2
1974   19.8
1975   20.3
1976   21.3
1977   21.6
1978   20.0
1979   19.6
1980   21.1
1981   21.8
1982   20.1
1983   18.2
1984   17.0
1985   19.8
1986   18.4
1987   17.4
1988   16.9
1989   18.1
1990   17.2
1991   16.8
1992   16.8
1993   16.8
1994   17.8
1995   17.0
1996   16.2
1997   15.0
1998   13.9
1999   13.7
2000   12.7
2001   11.5
2002   11.4

As the numbers show, ratings have steadily declined for ABC and Disney.  The riggery that started in 2000 may have helped slow this decline, maybe even help it bottom out and start to rise again.  We won't know for sure until we see the numbers in 2003.

 

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