Like them or not, Monday night doubleheaders seem to be here to stay.
The business calculation is simple. More total people will watch two games that are broadcast on a Monday than one on Monday and one that otherwise would have landed in the cluster of Sunday games.
Watching the games and enjoying the experience, however, are two different things.
For me, the first choice is one game, and one game only. Monday Night Football is, or should be, special. It should be unique. It started as one game. Good, bad, otherwise. One game, and people watch it or they don’t. More often than not, people watch it — even when the game isn’t a good one.
Having a pair of games that overlap will goose the size of the total audience for the time period when both games are being played. Which is good for business. But is the overall experience of watching two prime-time games at once good for fans?
Also, having two games increases the chances that at least one will be compelling and close. But what if, like last night, neither one is?
In the age of the multiscreen, it’s possible to watch both games at the same time. But possible and preferable are two different things. Is it enjoyable to focus on one game while potentially missing something significant from the other game? Is it feasible to constantly be making the assessment as to whether the eyes, and the audio, should center on one game or the other?
Fortunately, ESPN/ABC have gotten away from doing a split-screen live look-in of the other game. For many, the split-screen version of the other game was ahead of the screen displaying the other game.
Improvements remain possible. Why, for example have the score of the other game on the screen? Anyone who wants to know the score of the other game can either watch the game on a second screen, or they can just watch that game instead.
Despite the six-hour marathon and the ensuing sleep deprivation, it’s better to play the two games consecutively. The fact that 13.5 million, on average, tuned in for the pair of back-to-back Week 2 Monday night games could lead to more of those, especially if/when the numbers for last night’s partially simultaneously twin bill pale in comparison.
Regardless, there will be two more Monday night doubleheaders this season. In 13 days, Bills-Falcons will start at 7:15 p.m. ET, with Bears-Commanders kicking off an hour later. The next Monday, we’ll see another baton-passing pair of games, with Bucs-Lions in the 7 p.m. ET window and Texans-Seahawks beginning at 10 p.m. ET.
For those who don’t like Monday night doubleheaders, there’s a silver lining to the looming NFL-ESPN mega media merger. If/when the transaction receives all appropriate governmental approvals, ESPN will swap its four extra Monday night games back to NFL Network for the seven exclusive NFLN games (which include the early-morning European games).
Of course, this doesn’t preclude the four NFLN games from landing on Monday nights, too. If the powers-that-be like the numbers that come from two Monday night games, a way will be found to continue them.
Here’s the broader point. Audience size and audience enjoyment are, or at least should be, two different things. But only one of those adds directly to the bottom line. And that’s the factor that ultimately matters most.
