Cardinals-Cowboys on Monday night averaged 16.2 million viewers across ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, and NFL+, which a release called ESPN’s second-highest Week 9 audience since 2011. The figure trailed last year’s Week 9 Bucs-Chiefs game, which drew 20.6 million, a 21.4 percent drop. With ESPN and ABC unavailable on YouTube TV, viewers scrambled for workarounds—from rabbit ears to NFL+—though it’s unclear how much that blackout suppressed the total. A breakdown of ABC versus cable could clarify over-the-air viewing, and the impasse remains unresolved.

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.