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When ESPN releases viewership data for a Monday night game, observers often scrutinize the figures for any details about the various alternate broadcasts available on Disney-owned networks. This week, the announcement only provided the combined viewership across all platforms, which stood at 21.7 million. No specific numbers were disclosed for the McAfee alt cast on ESPN2 or the Next Gen Stats version on NFL Network.
Andrew Marchand of The Athletic obtained the individual numbers. The Next Gen Stats alt cast drew 499,000 viewers, while the McAfee ensemble attracted 406,000. This result gives Next Gen Stats a 2-0 advantage over the McAfee option in their head-to-head matchups.
The margin was narrower this time. When the two first competed during the Week 6 Commanders-49ers game, NFL Network drew 469,000 viewers and ESPN2 drew 351,000. (ESPN2 is available in roughly 70 million homes, while NFL Network's distribution is at or below 50 million.) The total viewership for that Week 6 game was 17.9 million.
With Bills-Vikings surpassing that total by 21.2 percent, Next Gen Stats saw a 6.3 percent increase over Week 6, and the McAfee cast grew by 15.6 percent. Of the total audience for the game, 2.2 percent watched NFL Network and 1.87 percent watched ESPN2.
This raises a familiar one-word question: Why? The Monday night alt casts do not bring in new viewers. They represent added expense with no extra revenue for the broader operation, unless there is a tangible benefit to diverting viewers from ABC/ESPN to the other channels. Ultimately, it is a zero-sum game.
With alt casts, Bills-Vikings viewership was 21.7 million. Without alt casts, Bills-Vikings viewership undoubtedly would have been 21.7 million. That is why various ABC affiliates are upset that Disney will have a full slate of alt casts for Super Bowl LXI. The total number will be the total number, whether the game is on one network or twenty. The alt casts will rob the Peter of ABC to pay the Paul of the various other platforms.
Key Analysis
The data indicates that the Next Gen Stats alt cast continues to outperform the McAfee version, even as both shows viewership growth. However, the overall impact on total audience is negligible, as the alt casts appear to fragment the existing viewership rather than expand it. This dynamic underscores the concerns of ABC affiliates about the upcoming Super Bowl alt casts, which may further divide the audience without adding new viewers.
Originally reported by yahoo.