Why is TV viewership for NFL games down?

[Ram65]

Last night’s Monday Night Football matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants drew a 9.1 overnight rating, an 8% drop from last year’s comparable Week 4 game between the Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks. The New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs game in 2014 earned a 9.6 rating.

While the number of streaming viewers has increased – last night’s game attracted 262,000 average minute viewers on digital platforms, a 23% increase from last year – total viewership is still trending downward. Last week’s Monday Night Football game unsurprisingly got clobbered in the ratings thanks to the presidential debate. That game drew a 5.7 overnight rating, the lowest in MNF history.

Overall, MNF‘s ratings are down a whopping 19% this year, according to Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch.

First thing is the game is on cable channel ESPN which I for one don't have. The game becomes out of mind for me. Even when I had ESPN I didn't watch the game except for a few minutes here and there. Now, once I remembered that I wanted to see Bradford play I got a stream (free) from the internet and watch a good part of the second half. I wonder how many of us are not being counted.

On Sunday the London game was on CBS. I watched but, would have really like to see my fav (Sunday Morning) show at 9 AM EST. I'm also on the internet reading and YouTubing and while getting some game action but not enough. Replays that are boring with announcers trying to fill 5 minutes of dead football time. Then the timeouts one after another. There seems to be less football to really watch and they are two teams I don't care about. The game was on but, I had a hard time watching 10 minutes at a time.

 

[woofwoofmo]

Oversaturation. The NFL got greedy and wanted to occupy Thursday and Sunday night's as well as Monday Night. Now Monday Night Football is not as big of a deal as it was. Now, no prime time games are a big deal because they are common. It just isn't special anymore.

I am starting to feel like there is too much football. It's like this, if you love steak and eat it every night, it suddenly is not something to get excited about. Ho hum.

I used to watch each night game and two Sunday games. I am down to one a week, and maybe a quarter of each night game, maybe. Then NFL Network floods us with more football. I think a little less access would be better. Go back to one night game a week, then we are starved for football by Sunday.

Agree this is a big cause. This past Sunday, the London Jaguars game came on at 8:30am CDT and we then proceeded to have almost 14 1/2 hours straight of football, a lot of which was not compelling. Elmgrovegnome is right, the prime time product is diluted as it's required that each team make an appearance. This is leading to some very unappealing match-ups.

Throw in going against MNF with a presidential debate and its 80 million audience, to be followed up this coming week with round 2 going against Sunday Night Football and it doesn't take the proverbial rocket scientist to figure somethings going to take a hit.

 

[woofwoofmo]

Thursday night games were a big mistake when it came to oversaturation.

Agreed. Use to love having a nice college football game to watch on Thursday, gave a chance to see a team that might not see during the season, now, the college game is an afterthought. Also as a season ticket holder, hate Thursday night games as they're a real pain to get to and makes Friday's a real challenge to survive.

 

[Jorgeh0605]

Hey @Jorgeh0605, why would you click 'inappropriate' on an article discussing why NFL viewership is waning? You have every right to do that. Just curious.

Because I felt that it expressed to much of a political opinion with not enough evidence to support that opinion. I don't want to stir any trouble, but I felt it crossed the line on having politics on this board.

 

[Prime Time]

Because I felt that it expressed to much of a political opinion with not enough evidence to support that opinion. I don't want to stir any trouble, but I felt it crossed the line on having politics on this board.

Understood. Appreciate the explanation. However, if you're referring to the Colin Kaepernick situation, I consider that more societal than political.

 

[BonifayRam]

This downward trending will continue until ...

#1 The NFL creates "SafeZones" area for all fans & players to visit after sensing & feeling micro aggressions & violence on their persons from what they are viewing on the field.

If that does not work then....

#2- The use of four waste band detachable flags to signify a pretend tackle this to replace the mandated requirement physical tackle of the ball carrier.

If that does not work then move onto....

#3. No player to player physical contact is ever permitted on the field & mandate both teams be involved with a massive group hug & share the same locker rooms after the game is concluded.

#4. Score keeping of both team points are no longer permitted. The scoreboard will be removed.

http://insider.foxnews.com/2016/10/03/safe-space-duke-university-masculinity-men-campus-craziness

http://www.dukechronicle.com/articl...-discussions-of-male-privilege-and-patriarchy

:death:

 

[-X-]

This downward trending will continue until ...

#1 The NFL creates "SafeZones" area for all fans & players to visit after sensing & feeling micro aggressions & violence on their persons from what they are viewing on the field.

If that does not work then....

#2- The use of four waste band detachable flags to signify a pretend tackle this to replace the mandated requirement physical tackle of the ball carrier.

If that does not work then move onto....

#3. No player to player physical contact is ever permitted on the field & mandate both teams be involved with a massive group hug & share the same locker rooms after the game is concluded.

:death:

Your sarcasm is insulting and has caused me emotional anguish.
You'll be hearing from my lawyer.

 

[Prime Time]

Your sarcasm is insulting and has caused me emotional anguish.
You'll be hearing from my lawyer.

 

[classicpony]

And then there is the Kaepernick factor this year. Don't think that hasn't hurt viewership. There's an active protest with that going on right now.

TALKED TO MY CUZ (VET)WHO QUIT watching the NFL because of Kaepernick & other players that have came out in support of him & his cause ( LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT US)

 

[Ramhusker]

TALKED TO MY CUZ (VET)WHO QUIT watching the NFL because of Kaepernick & other players that have came out in support of him & his cause ( LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT US)

http://trib.al/tvvqC6I

 

[CGI_Ram]

NFL tries to reassure teams as TV ratings drop

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2016/10/08/nfl-tries-to-reassure-teams-as-tv-ratings-drop.html

The National Football League has sent a memo to team owners seeking to ease concerns about the ratings decline that has hit football this fall.

Through the first four weeks of the season, NFL viewership has declined 11 percent, and among the crucial adults 18-49 demographic that advertisers covet, ratings are down 12 percent.

“While our partners, like us, would have liked to see higher ratings, they remain confident in the NFL and unconcerned about a long-term issue,” the letter from NFL senior executives Brian Rolapp and Howard Katz said, adding that over the last 15 years, ratings viewership has grown 27 percent and that football “continues to be far and away the most powerful programming on television and the best place for brands and advertisers.”

The league said the large drop in ratings for prime-time games on ESPN, CBS and NBC is likely because of “unprecedented interest in the Presidential election.” On Sunday afternoons, the audience for Fox News, CNN and MSNBC has increased as well, and the league believes that is cutting into those games. The letter also cited the 2000 election as another time when NFL ratings took a hit due to coverage of the race between George Bush and Al Gore and the subsequent legal battle over the results.

As for a potential backlash by some viewers angered at players not standing for the national anthem to protest of police brutality, the NFL said it sees no evidence to that being a factor in declining ratings: “In fact, our own data shows that the perception of the NFL and its players is actually up in 2016.”

The NFL said it was issuing the memo to all the teams in response to media inquiries about the decline in ratings. Long seen as invincible against the trends and changing media habits that have negatively affected other programming, network executives and advertisers have been scrambling to figure out if this is a short-term blip because of political news or the start of a long-term trend.

 

[kurtfaulk]

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that nearly one-third (32%) of American adults say they are less likely to watch an NFL game because of the growing number of Black Lives Matter protests by players on the field.

the fuck? fuck off then you losers. you don't even see that shit on the broadcast so why do they care. or do you? please tell me they don't broadcast the national anthem before every game on tv.

.

 

[CGI_Ram]

the freak? freak off then you losers. you don't even see that crap on the broadcast so why do they care. or do you? please tell me they don't broadcast the national anthem before every game on tv.

.

I think it's because most tune into a sporting event (or Movie, etc.) to find respite from the world we live in. Just like people turn off their cell phone when on vacation.

Me personally, I don't tune into football to be reminded about world issues. That's not the stage for it. I just don't want it there.

Of course, that's just my take.

 

[Ramfansince79]

Cuban is 100% correct. Oversaturation, greedy owners talking about 18 game seasons while slow-rolling money to former players. Enough already. I've been a huge fan since I was a kid, but Sunday's are not nearly as special anymore

 

[Shoman01]

Understood. Appreciate the explanation. However, if you're referring to the Colin Kaepernick situation, I consider that more societal than political.

I find the Kaepernick situation more theatrical than social or political.

 

[Amitar]

IMHO like others have said people are going away from cable and second the political BS Krapernick is pulling is moving people away. I despise that unpatriotic BS. For the more serious NFL fan then the reason is what NJRamsFan posted sounds about right.

 

[Prime Time]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/10/18/prime-time-ratings-crater-again/

Prime-time ratings crater again
Posted by Mike Florio on October 18, 2016

As NFL owners meet in Houston, here’s hoping they decide to devote real resources to figuring out why ratings are down, and what can be done to improve them.

The incentive to do so exists, without question. Monday night’s Jets-Cardinals game on ESPN generated a 6.3 rating, which represents a 34-percent drop from Giants-Eagles in Week Six of 2015. It’s also a 27-percent decline from 49ers-Rams in 2014.

Sunday Night Football on NBC struggled as well, with the 9.0 rating for Colts-Texans representing a 38.4-percent decline over Patriots-Colts from Week Six of the 2015 season. The 26-23 overtime win by the Texans, which was far less compelling than the outcome would suggest until late in the fourth quarter, was the lowest rated SNF game since Colts-Saints in 2011, a 62-7 New Orleans blowout over a Colts team that lacked Peyton Manning.

Despite widespread speculation regarding the potential reasons for the decline, quality and attractiveness of the games appear to be the primary factors. Cowboys-Packers on FOX, by far the most interesting game of the weekend, had a 13.6 rating — up more than 20 percent over last year’s Seahawks-Panthers Week Six late-afternoon FOX broadcast.

During Monday night’s game, ESPN’s Sean McDonough lamented the prevalence of yellow flags, suggesting it may be evidence of diminished fan interest.

“If we’re looking for reasons why TV ratings for the NFL are down all over the place, this doesn’t help,” McDonough said, via TheBigLead.com. “The way this game has been officiated is not something anybody wants to watch.”

Apart from the officiating, no one wanted to watch the one-win Jets sleepwalk their way to a 28-3 loss to Arizona, which entered the game at 2-3. In fairness to the league, Jets-Cardinals looked like a much better matchup in April than it became through five weeks.

That’s a byproduct of parity, where good teams can quickly become bad teams. And seemingly good games can quickly become bad games.

This weekend, another one-win team plays in primetime on Thursday night, when the Bears visit the Packers. Seahawks-Cardinals on Sunday night should generate plenty of interest, as should Texans-Broncos on Monday.

Regardless of the reasons, the league has every incentive to come up with real solutions. Which could/should include our seat-of-the-pants spitball regarding the selection of the Sunday night game on a week-by-week basis.
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BTW is that Bruce Arians in the picture?

 

[bubbaramfan]

Game stopages due to penalties, injuries and play reviews have lengthened games that already run over 3 hours. During those stop they play endless commercials, sometime the same ones over and over and over and over................

 

[-X-]

During those stop they play endless commercials, sometime the same ones over and over and over and over................

Some are good. Do you have a favorite commercial?
The one with Rodgers golf-clubbing a fly is pretty funny.
And so are some of these.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TO208trnno

 

[Adi]

You can salsa but you can't twerk, you can spike a ball but you can't dunk over the field goal post . You can't wear different colored socks but a guy can kneel doing the national anthem ..It's Goodell, he has made it the no fun league and there is way too many penalties !