NFL Low TV Ratings: It will get worse

[eaglesnut]

If my fantasy football opponent didn't have 4 players in the night game I never would have even turned it on. As it was, watching only the first half was too much of my time to give to the NFL. The games are on way too late.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

If my fantasy football opponent didn't have 4 players in the night game I never would have even turned it on. As it was, watching only the first half was too much of my time to give to the NFL. The games are on way too late.

The NFL is more regional than they think...there are a few national teams that truly draw, but not that many people (outside of SEA and AZ) really care enough about SEA and or AZ to stay up to midnight watching football.

The late games are really exposing just how regional the NFL is....at 4p SEA @ AZ is interesting...at 8:30p...not so much.

 

[Rockinkuwait]

The NFL is more regional than they think...there are a few national teams that truly draw, but not that many people (outside of SEA and AZ) really care enough about SEA and or AZ to stay up to midnight watching football.

The late games are really exposing just how regional the NFL is....at 4p SEA @ AZ is interesting...at 8:30p...not so much.

I don't know about that. I remember reading how the Cubs beat the Bears in last weeks game when both were on at the same time locally in Chicago, but the Bears game nationally did like 3 times the ratings of the Cubs game nationally.

I see a LOT more Seahawks fans than I do Mariners fans out here and always have. See a lot more NFL fans of different places than MLB or NBA fans outside of a few major market teams.

I agree the Sun night games I sometimes watch Monday because they are later, but the NFL really only had 5 prime time slots to show games. They can get 12-25 million people watching SNF. A 6th game at the same time during the day doesn't do that. GB/MN are two of the smaller regional markets and have had 2 SNF games recently, both doing 24 million viewers.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I don't know about that. I remember reading how the Cubs beat the Bears in last weeks game when both were on at the same time locally in Chicago, but the Bears game nationally did like 3 times the ratings of the Cubs game nationally.

I see a LOT more Seahawks fans than I do Mariners fans out here and always have. See a lot more NFL fans of different places than MLB or NBA fans outside of a few major market teams.

I agree the Sun night games I sometimes watch Monday because they are later, but the NFL really only had 5 prime time slots to show games. They can get 12-25 million people watching SNF. A 6th game at the same time during the day doesn't do that. GB/MN are two of the smaller regional markets and have had 2 SNF games recently, both doing 24 million viewers.

Those MLB comparison figures don't surprise me. GB is one of the perennial national brands along with DAL, and PIT. And then you have the big market teams like the Jets/Giants/Bears/NE...they can push a number.

The rating may be down in the NFL compared to previous yrs, but they still trump all other sports in the US. But I don't have the data to prove it, but I think those prime time games really expose the regional pull of the NFL.

 

[dkmightyhammer]

This was on this morning's MMQB on SI.com and it sums up what is happening with ratings pretty well:

“The NFL wants their players to be dynamic individuals from the start of the whistle to the end of the whistle, stop exactly what they’re doing on a dime, go back to their huddle and then do it again. After being in the league office and now being on the outside looking in after being in the league office for 13 seasons, there is a real line of demarcation that the NFL product inherently harms itself when it devalues its characters, when it doesn’t live up to the entertainment entity that it itself claims it is . . . Sportsmanship is a worthy goal. I’m not minimizing that. That’s the line the NFL is taking. But they are throwing out the baby with the bath water. They are stripping away what makes the league a must-watch event.’’

—Merton Hanks, who was the NFL’s vice president of football operations until last spring, to Tom Curran of Comcast Sports Net-New England. Hanks is now associate commissioner of Conference USA.

 

[Rockinkuwait]

Those MLB comparison figures don't surprise me. GB is one of the perennial national brands along with DAL, and PIT. And then you have the big market teams like the Jets/Giants/Bears/NE...they can push a number.

The rating may be down in the NFL compared to previous yrs, but they still trump all other sports in the US. But I don't have the data to prove it, but I think those prime time games really expose the regional pull of the NFL.

But I think GB being a national brand (thanks to Favre and them becoming a great team again), is exactly how the NFL can jump over market size. I don't care how well the Brewers play, they aren't getting up there with the Yankees and Red Sox on a prime time baseball game.



You look at Phillies/Rays WS vs. Phillies/Yankees, and 33% higher ratings to see the Yankees in the world series. But Saints/Colts or Ravens/49ers just do a few percent off Giants/Patriots in the SB.


Same with MNF... Lions/Seahawks and Bengals/Bronco's last year can draw 14-16 million. Same as Cowboys/Redskins..

Yeah I think there of course is a benefit of being in a major market of course. But with the NFL being good is more important than other sports (NBA has the edge for having a superstar athlete).

To me, with the NFL, their ratings and games you watch have had more to do with good teams/matchups than market size. It's why the NFL is the sport that does it's flex scheduling instead of just picking big market games once the year gets going.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

But I think GB being a national brand (thanks to Favre and them becoming a great team again), is exactly how the NFL can jump over market size. I don't care how well the Brewers play, they aren't getting up there with the Yankees and Red Sox on a prime time baseball game.



You look at Phillies/Rays WS vs. Phillies/Yankees, and 33% higher ratings to see the Yankees in the world series. But Saints/Colts or Ravens/49ers just do a few percent off Giants/Patriots in the SB.


Same with MNF... Lions/Seahawks and Bengals/Bronco's last year can draw 14-16 million. Same as Cowboys/Redskins..

Yeah I think there of course is a benefit of being in a major market of course. But with the NFL being good is more important than other sports (NBA has the edge for having a superstar athlete).

To me, with the NFL, their ratings and games you watch have had more to do with good teams/matchups than market size. It's why the NFL is the sport that does it's flex scheduling instead of just picking big market games once the year gets going.

Good post...I think you make a good argument for why the NFL is the #1 televised sport. In terms of why are fewer people watching?

In many sports there are players and teams that bring out the fringe fan and fringe fans then to push ratings maybe artificially high. Tiger Woods, Jordan, Yankees, Lakers are good examples...Cam Newton is a polaring figure...last year he and the Panthers were on an amazing run...Peyton Manning was sucking wind, but they were winning, maybe some fringe fans jumped on that....this year, maybe not as many dynamics attracting the fringe fan.

Then of course, the widely held theories...Kaep's protest, the election, etc. I think more than anything...the NFL while we were starved for it back in July and August has reach a point of saturation with the fringe fan.

I'd be curious to know if the SNF, TNF, MNF are doing better or worse than the 1/4p Sunday games.

 

[CowboyB]

i say this for a reason, why because next sunday night will be the season premier of that zombie show. meaning most sunday night game will suffer low ratings. who is the real blame for the TV ratings, is it the Trump/Clinton circus? Kapernick and the other NFL stars kneeling? the upcoming walking dead episodes? they're the blame yes, but theres other blame(and is the primary blame for the low ratings), is the following demographic groups who are the blame: Nerds(too hooked on Walking Dead, Dr Who, Big Bang Theory, etc) and Macho Beer Drinkers(who spend too much time at bars drinking and talking ga-ga).

I am glad I read your thread because I thought it was because America sucks and the sky is falling.

 

[MilkSpiller22]

There are a lot of reasons for football tv ratings to be on the decline...

I would say 3 major factors are:

1. At least 5 games on TV per week(3 prime time games, the 2 network games, possible regional game-if not on at the same time as network games)... that is A LOT OF football... only the truest fans will watch all 5 games if not more...

2. Fantasy Football- We all do it and love it... BUT while it does increase your knowledge of the game and increase your knowledge of players outside of your fandom, it has created fans that now care more about fantasy than real life football, and that changes some fans into stat watchers instead of game watchers... Which then trickles down to caring less about the game itself...

3. Red zone networks- I love this channel, but I will be the first to admit, it takes away A LOT from the game... Very hard to follow so many games at once with the same focus and understandment of watching one game at a time...

 

[tebowGOAT]

Roger Goodell.

Dude is a Nazi and a tyrant.

 

[cowboys5xsbs]

Why do the Bears have another prime time game next week. Who's bright idea was it to put the bears on prime time back to back weeks? Haven't we suffered enough.

 

[Manster7588]

Small sample size but with the Election over last nights game had the highest viewership in 5 years.

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

NFL ratings being down is only by their own standards

Even with the "Down" ratings, they still absolutely massacre the ratings of every other American sport

 

[eaglesnut]

Small sample size but with the Election over last nights game had the highest viewership in 5 years.

That was Patriots, Seahawks. Two of the best teams over the last decade and a Super Bowl rematch. And it's darker earlier, and it's colder.

 

[Manster7588]

That was Patriots, Seahawks. Two of the best teams over the last decade and a Super Bowl rematch. And it's darker earlier, and it's colder.

I understand and considered the two twams, but highest in FIVE years stood out to me. I maintained the Election played a huge part on the ratings being down, and will keep an eye on it to see if it's true.

 

[Clayton]

There are a lot of reasons for football tv ratings to be on the decline...

I would say 3 major factors are:

1. At least 5 games on TV per week(3 prime time games, the 2 network games, possible regional game-if not on at the same time as network games)... that is A LOT OF football... only the truest fans will watch all 5 games if not more...

2. Fantasy Football- We all do it and love it... BUT while it does increase your knowledge of the game and increase your knowledge of players outside of your fandom, it has created fans that now care more about fantasy than real life football, and that changes some fans into stat watchers instead of game watchers... Which then trickles down to caring less about the game itself...

3. Red zone networks- I love this channel, but I will be the first to admit, it takes away A LOT from the game... Very hard to follow so many games at once with the same focus and understandment of watching one game at a time...

I agree with 1 and 3 but disagree with 2. I think Fantasy Football adds more viewers than it loses. My version of the list:


1. Cord cutters
2. At least 5 games a week on TV is too much
3. Red Zone Networks (which are great)
4. Get your politics out of sports
5. Penalties and pace of game is making the game less interesting
6. Death of the 'star' running back
7. Player careers are too short (generally)

People love star running backs. I suspect the Dallas Cowboys have a chance to really break the trend even if the overall numbers will be down.

 

[DHoey]

NFL ratings being down is only by their own standards

Even with the "Down" ratings, they still absolutely massacre the ratings of every other American sport

Didn't the World Series have higher ratings that the football games this year?

 

[molsaniceman]

Didn't the World Series have higher ratings that the football games this year?

Its always the SB and everyone else Last years game had a 46.6 rating game 7 of WS had 25.2 and it was the highest rated WS game eva

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

Didn't the World Series have higher ratings that the football games this year?

I believe it did, but look what it took for that to happen

The Cubs were a story for the ages, the series had it all

Your typical World Series game gets out rated every year by the Texans/Eagles Sunday night game in Week 4

 

[Manster7588]

Didn't the World Series have higher ratings that the football games this year?

I'd say the Cubs had a higher rating.