ESPN still lays a strong claim to being the worldwide leader in sports, according to numbers published in the network’s 2018 year-end report. The network has made major strides with its digital offerings, but still boasts an impressive cable TV audience.
So far in 2018, ESPN has aired 17 of the top 20 most-viewed cable TV programs, including all of the top six. ESPN’s Monday Night Football finished as the most-watched series on cable for the second straight year in 2018 and had an eight percent increase in year-over-year average viewership compared to 2017. MNF’s average viewership in 2018 was also two percent bigger than that in 2016.