Medical report indicates that Damar Hamlin remains sedated and "in critical condition" 2:06
(CNN) --
The NFL game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills, which was postponed in the first quarter after Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest and collapsed on the field, was the most-watched "Monday Night Football" telecast in ESPN history, averaging 23.8 million viewers, according to preliminary ratings.
Nielsen said Wednesday that the telecast averaged 23,788,000 viewers on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 from about 8:30 p.m. to 10:09 p.m. The massive audience makes it the most watched "Monday Night Football" telecast. since the NFL moved the series to ESPN in 2006, surpassing the previous record of 21.8 million viewers for a Packers-Vikings game in 2009.
Damar Hamlin showed 'signs of improvement' while still in critical condition, Buffalo Bills report
However, Monday's high-profile game was called off when Hamlin collapsed in the first quarter moments after a collision with Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins.
A Hamlin was revived in the field and is currently in critical condition at a Cincinnati hospital.
During the game, ESPN averaged 21.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratings.
That audience later grew to 23.9 million viewers between 9 p.m. and 10:15 p.m. when ESPN aired news coverage of Hamlin's collapse.
How common are cardiac arrests like Hamlin's?
3:12
An ESPN spokesperson told CNN on Wednesday that given the special circumstances of Monday's game, it was unclear if the viewership numbers would be included in the season average or used for historical purposes.
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After Hamlin's injury, ESPN quickly went on a commercial break and continued the broadcast for over an hour, reporting on Hamlin's injury while waiting for word from the NFL on whether play would resume.
While ESPN received praise for its calm and measured reporting that avoided speculation about the cause of Hamlin's gruesome injury, the network notably chose not to interview medical professionals about what millions of viewers had witnessed.
Veteran "SportsCenter" host Scott Van Pelt, who hosted the show after the game, told CNN the decision was made to focus strictly on the facts of what had transpired.
“My personal preference was that I didn't want to bring in a doctor to speculate,” Van Pelt said.
“I totally see the other side, where a well-trained eye of a doctor might recognize something that might make sense.
But I just didn't want to speculate."
Prior to Hamlin's devastating injury, the game was expected to be among the most-watched "Monday Night Football" games in ESPN history.
The Buffalo Bills (12-3) faced off against the Cincinnati Bengals (11-4), the defending AFC champions, with both teams hoping to clinch the number one position in the division.
The NFL has not yet announced when teams will continue with the postponed game.
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