NFL TV ratings

[Staxxxx]

On topic and worth a read:
MMQB asks the fans why ratings are down

The NFL has a ratings problem. Monday Night Football is down 24% from last year at this time, Sunday Night Football is down 19% and Thursday night is down 18%. We asked readers of The MMQB to share their theories and explanations behind the double-digit losses for prime-time games and the general sense that the league is losing viewers. LINK

 

[panchucko]

Too many people like myself kept switching to the game during time outs and half time

 

[thisiscowboyscountry]

Baseball is so boring, but when two teams havent won in over 70 years I guess people will tune in especially in what could be the clincher...

 

[romothesavior]

Too many people like myself kept switching to the game during time outs and half time

I wonder how this is included in the calculations. I flipped over to the WS game frequently just to keep an eye on things, but I doubt many Cleveland or Chicago fans were doing the same for our game.

 

[jazzcat22]

They did not crush it.
And you have to understand how the rating s work.
Unless they have a better way to do it now, which I doubt.

They check the viewing in the first 10 minutes or something like that. So they could tune in, then change the channels.

It was 15.3 to 11.6, but the DFW area was 34.9 SNF to 7.5 WS.

 

[jazzcat22]

So the WS starts at what 7:08 CST, people tune in, the ratings get made. SNF starts at 7:30, so people tune in teo it, but the WS crowd does not tune in until say 7:45, as it always starts late...so it is rated lower from a late crowd switching over.....but who cares...we won....

 

[Staxxxx]

I wonder how this is included in the calculations. I flipped over to the WS game frequently just to keep an eye on things, but I doubt many Cleveland or Chicago fans were doing the same for our game.

I think this goes to JDSmith's point that the Nielson ratings are broken. However they've been broken for years, this is not new this year. I have a friend that works for Nielson and another that is a monitored viewer. It's a mess and doesn't even come close to capturing how media is consumed nowadays. That doesn't mean viewership isn't down, too many people are saying they don't watch it anymore or watch far less than previous years for me to believe that. I just don't believe the Nielson ratings can accurately quantify viewership anymore unless there is a significant move.

 

[DallasCowboysRule!]

I do feel like the quality of the NFL has gone down quite a bit over the last few years. Not only is the quarterback play not as good as it used to be (probably not the NFL's fault. I blame the college game) but the NFL has officiated and rule changed the game into tedium. It seems that the NFL has done everything they can to remove any excitement, flare, or personality from the game. The games are just not as exciting as they used to be. If the game isn't stopping for a ticky tack penalty, then it's being stopped for yet another commercial, usually one I've already seen 100 times. There used to be a time when I looked forward to NFL Sunday every week and spent all day watching games. Now I watch the Cowboys and only the Cowboys. I haven't watched a non-Cowboy game in a long time. These days I am passionate about and love the Dallas Cowboys, not the NFL. It didn't used to be that way.

 

[Nightman]

MNF down to lowest Week 8 rating in 11 years.....no election,,,,no World Series....just anthem protests and bad football I guess

 

[KB1122]

People don't mention the lack of young stars. Quarterbacks used to be guys with personalities. Now the ideal quarterback is some dork who spends all of his life in a film study room and anything else is seen as "a distraction." The QBs with star personalities (Manziel, RGIII, Tebow) have been drummed out. Cam Newton is the only young qb with star power in league.

 

[MrPeanutbutter]

MNF down to lowest Week 8 rating in 11 years.....no election,,,,no World Series....just anthem protests and bad football I guess

Anthem protests have nothing to do with it. It's the quality of play.

 

[Lutonio]

Again, a few reasons for this

1. NFL is in a bit of a transition right now, big draw players are either injured or at the end of their careers. The young faces of the NFL aren't doing so well, Luck, Newton, Rodgers.
2. Cord cutting
3. Political climate, this shouldn't be surprising. It's getting people quite cynical right now, it's a heated climate and the football season is in the final stretch of the election. Politics > Football games, in terms of importance
4. Poor matchups (Not entirely the NFL's fault, you can't predict good/bad teams unless they are the Browns)

The NFL is fine, a few new stud players will pop up and fans will attach to them with love/hate. Even with numbers being down, the NFL is still a juggernaut.

I mostly agree with this, but just wanted to point out that the NFL scheduled the Bears for THREE prime time games in about 4 weeks. That's definitely a team that could have been predicted.

 

[Nightman]

Anthem protests have nothing to do with it. It's the quality of play.

that is what Target, Amazon and Hollywood say about protests but their losses are mounting

 

[dogunwo]

4. Poor matchups (Not entirely the NFL's fault, you can't predict good/bad teams unless they are the Browns)

No, not entirely, but they should stop forcing every team to play Thursday night games. Even when they are division games, there is too much of an advantage for the home team. You end up getting crap games with no stars like Titans-Jags. Wonderful.

I said in a previous post that they should just can the Thursday night games except for opening night and Thanksgiving night.

 

[dogunwo]

bad football I guess

Monday night football has been behind Sunday night football for a while now. It probably has to do with flex scheduling leading to more compelling matchups. I also think that ESPN has done MNF a disservice with overexposure by trying to make an "event" out of it by starting the coverage in the early afternoon, all the way through the long postgame coverage.

 

[MrPeanutbutter]

that is what Target, Amazon and Hollywood say about protests but their losses are mounting

The obvious answer must be to move to the least plausible possibility.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Monday night football has been behind Sunday night football for a while now. It probably has to do with flex scheduling leading to more compelling matchups. I also think that ESPN has done MNF a disservice with overexposure by trying to make an "event" out of it by starting the coverage in the early afternoon, all the way through the long postgame coverage.

Yep and a lot of the Monday night match-ups have been crap.

Another one this week with the offensively challenged Bills taking on the Seahawks (who aren't so interesting offensively themselves).

 

[csirl]

Outside the US there are a lot less commercials. The standard is 12mins per hour in total. There are so many commercial breaks in the broadcasts that European stations have to employ additional presenters to discuss the game when the US is on commercial.

Besides commercials I think there the over emphasis on passing is ruining the game. Its too unbalanced. Id rather see a good hard game of football than 400s yards of passing. What happened to the day QBs averaged 25 passes a game?

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

Yep and a lot of the Monday night match-ups have been crap.

Another one this week with the offensively challenged Bills taking on the Seahawks (who aren't so interesting offensively themselves).

I've barely watched any MNF this year. That's the least I've watched since the 70's.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I've barely watched any MNF this year. That's the least I've watched since the 70's.

Same here.

And my watching of Thursday night football is even less.