probably been said, but lots of people watch on illegal streams and no one is counting up those viewers
Doesn't matter, they cannot make money from that and that is all that matters.
The nets are taking their lumps with technology and their saving grace was live sporting events that were not usually recorded except for a re-watch. Latest research shows the number of viewers using DVR's and delaying their watching for 15-20 minutes and then >>ing through the ads is increasing at an alarming rate. Viewership down and others recording is a double whammy and impossible to overcome.
The only solution that I see is PPV of some sort, maybe a scaled down NFLST for just your team or maybe the division. If they can't get more viewers and the NFLST is also declining, then they have to get money from people like us that aren't paying anything to watch. Because the only constant in all of this is that the NFL is going to get their money. The nets have been the Golden Geese up until now but that paradigm is shifting and will not go forward as is after this agreement expires.
Remember, CBS and NBC both balked at one time because of the fiscal irresponsibility but they reneged and justified it with program promos. That's a hollow argument these days.