The NFL needs a new strategy

[Reality]

The NFL is trying to win favor with the media (which will NEVER happen) at the expense of the fans and itself. The NFL needs to wake up and realize they don't need the media .. they need the fans. If the media stops broadcasting games, the NFL can sell those games directly and make even more money. They need to be more worried about fan support than they are media outrage.

The NFL makes money. It makes money for its owners. It makes money for its players. It makes money for the cities where the games are played. That money comes from the fans, either directly or indirectly. The NFL needs to refocus their strategy on winning fans over.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Do you have any examples of what you're fearing to? How are they trying to win favor with the media?

 

[lkelly]

I think they have completely won over the NFL Network.

 

[mattjames2010]

Do you have any examples of what you're fearing to? How are they trying to win favor with the media?

The fans often aren't the ones who are outraged until manufactured outrage from the media pushes it out. I would say this incident with Zeke, it's really neither the media or the fans fault, but the NFL's fault itself. But in the past, the media came down hard on the NFL, right or wrong, and fans get worked up. Happens in other forms of entertainment and politics as well.

The biggest issue is within all this outrage is when the NFL, with help of players in the past, created some bogus policies and granted a Goodell too much power. We are now stuck with arm-chair detectives making rulings they can get away with due to vague policies they have written up.

You can't keep suspending star players in the league and it never having an impact - a lot of blame to go around, and I don't think it's just the media. But the NFL certainly does pander.

 

[Nightman]

The Media only fuels fires to gin up ratings........ there is no such thing as bad publicity to them

The NFL strategy is to stick their thumb in the air and see which way the wind is blowing and then makes new rules and punishments to suit that one moment in time...... there is no big picture thinking

Just knee-jerk reactions to get momentary good press at the expense of its players...... never thinking of the law of unintended consequences

 

[LocimusPrime]

NFL appealing to women's groups, victim groups etc.

 

[ScipioCowboy]

I agree. The NFL is in a weird place where it tries to be an arbiter of law and justice. I mean, I can't think of any other entertainment business like that.

 

[CATCH17]

The NFL is trying to win favor with the media (which will NEVER happen) at the expense of the fans and itself. The NFL needs to wake up and realize they don't need the media .. they need the fans. If the media stops broadcasting games, the NFL can sell those games directly and make even more money. They need to be more worried about fan support than they are media outrage.

The NFL makes money. It makes money for its owners. It makes money for its players. It makes money for the cities where the games are played. That money comes from the fans, either directly or indirectly. The NFL needs to refocus their strategy on winning fans over.

The media gets people to buy into propoganda in sports just like they do in other outlets.


If the media turns on the NFL then many sheep will follow wherever they get lead.

 

[Reality]

Do you have any examples of what you're fearing to? How are they trying to win favor with the media?

Ray Rice was suspended two games. The video was already out in the public and the NFL had a copy prior to suspending him those two games, but after the suspension, the media started showing the video and the NFL suddenly suspended Ray Rice indefinitely. Career over. Then they suspended Josh Brown for one game. They either had the details of his past alleged domestic violence incidents or they simply chose to move quickly to prevent it becoming a media story. Then the media got a hold of those past incidents and suddenly the NFL suspended Josh Brown indefinitely. Career over. Greg Hardy? Career over.

Don't get me wrong. All of those guys deserved to be suspended. I fully believe that NFL players who commit any violent crime like domestic violence should be suspended. That said, I believe the NFL should only do this when players are at least charged with crimes and even then, only when the evidence justifies a pre-conviction suspension, and once they suspend the player, that should be it. The player misses those games, then the player comes back. Instead, for many players, a domestic violence suspension, even if never really proven in actual court, means the end of their career unless they are a superstar and even then, there are no guarantees.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Here is a new strategy....hire competent people.

People with some common sense and logical thinking.

 

[CATCH17]

I agree. The NFL is in a weird place where it tries to be an arbiter of law and justice. I mean, I can't think of any other entertainment business like that.

I think the NFL no longer want this power so screwing this up will just ensure that the players make sure to use this as leverage in negotiations and the owners will be glad to let them have it.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

It's destroying their league. People watch sports to get away from things like this. Season's getting ready to start and this is all anyone can talk about. It just puts a damper on everything.

 

[Reality]

The media gets people to buy into propoganda in sports just like they do in other outlets.


If the media turns on the NFL then many sheep will follow wherever they get lead.

The NFL is so popular, at least for now, that it could be its own media though! The NFL is still stuck in the past where it needed the media more than the media needed it. The NFL is very popular and a proven money maker. The media fights over who will get the rights to broadcast games and the ones who get those rights, promote their broadcasts like crazy. The tables have turned and the NFL needs to realize it is the fans they need, not the media.

 

[mattjames2010]

The NFL is so popular, at least for now, that it could be its own media though! The NFL is still stuck in the past where it needed the media more than the media needed it. The NFL is very popular and a proven money maker. The media fights over who will get the rights to broadcast games and the ones who get those rights, promote their broadcasts like crazy. The tables have turned and the NFL needs to realize it is the fans they need, not the media.

To be fair, the NFL has never been the best at adjusting with the times - whether it was TV deals in the past before Jerry came along, them adjusting to the digital age of streaming, etc.

They seem to always be behind in this regard. I still think they could be a streaming juggernaut, but last I checked, their latest TV deal is ridiculous.

 

[Reality]

To be fair, the NFL has never been the best at adjusting with the times - whether it was TV deals in the past before Jerry came along, them adjusting to the digital age of streaming, etc.

They seem to always be behind in this regard. I still think they could be a streaming juggernaut, but last I checked, their latest TV deal is ridiculous.

I agree with this. I think a lot of this is out of fear. They have a popular brand and are afraid to make changes that might hurt their brand, or rather their revenue streams. For some teams, if their revenue dropped 30 percent, they would probably be in serious financial trouble, while other teams could weather it.

I think the problem with a switch to streaming is that it's not advanced fixed revenue. Signing deals with broadcast networks, DirecTV, Verizon, etc. provide fixed revenue streams they can count on and collect long before the season starts. If they switch to direct streaming to fans, fans would likely not buy until the season starts and some fans may not even buy it until their team shows it can win games.

What I don't get is why the NFL doesn't do more multi-revenue options. They could easily adapt their media contracts with broadcast networks, DirecTV, Verizon, etc. to adjust if the NFL offered live game streaming and the revenue for the network/DirecTV contracts was impacted as a result.

 

[Diehardblues]

Equal TV revenue is the benchmark to the NFL success and Parity. It's allowed for small market teams like Green Bay and Pittsburgh to flourish. Would Pay per View still provide this balance?

Network TV is still greatest revenue generator for the NFL over 4 billion a year. Direct TV pays the NFL only 1 billion a year for the Sunday Ticket which televised all games accounting for about 10% of Direct TV 20 million viewership.

A Super Bowl in comparison draws up to a 100 million viewers or more. The sponsorship revenue is the new goldmine of the NFL. Microsoft alone was over 400 million. Would these sponsors contribute as much for a smaller audience?

And what would the effects be to the stadiums sponsorships which have become all gravy for owners since it's not included in the players share.

I don't believe pay per view overall would generate as much revenue or public interest which drives Americas past time with fringe fans who also are a significant segment of Fantasy Football which NFL owners like Jerry are vested.

Having said this there is an ever evolving technology age and with so many other options out there with network tv viewership under decline we could see some gradual moves to internet providers first which are much less expensive to the consumer like Netflix or Hulu rather than Direct TV which would be more comparable in price to basic cable or Free TV as I call it with Rabbit Ears for local network TV .

Direct TV at this time isn't willing to anty up more than a billion a year and now that AT&T bought them out will be interesting to see the progress there but I don't believe it will be fan generated but more by the need to diversify to continue generating the revenue as network tv continues losing viewers.

Direct TV is providing now if you have AT&T service which I have both with free access to Direct TV programming that's in your service on any device with no data usage if you use AT&T service. This could be where it's more likely heading instead of just Direct TV Sunday Ticket with more access to more viewers not just focusing on trying to make more money on a smaller audience .

Goodell has a goal by 2027 to reach 25 billion a year in revenue for the NFL which I believe will involve more viewers, with more access to watch the games anywhere on any devices anytime not just at home while still attracting the sponsors which with more access and devices increasing as well .

Unfortunately for the fan this will entail more Damage Control to continue an acceptable perception to the public policing themselves in order to prevent activist groups from challenging and drawing attention lobbying against the Anti Trust Exemption protection from Congress the NFL holds closet to their hearts .

 

[casmith07]

I think the NFL no longer want this power so screwing this up will just ensure that the players make sure to use this as leverage in negotiations and the owners will be glad to let them have it.

That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard about this.

 

[LocimusPrime]

 

[LocimusPrime]

 

[diefree666]

The Last CBA the players were so greedy on money that they let the owners get everything else. This time it will be very different.