TV Ratings decline

[Diehardblues]

“The 2020 election and other national news events are driving substantial consumption of cable news, taking meaningful share of audience from all other programming,” Rolapp wrote, via Ourand. “Historically, NFL viewership has declined in each of the past six presidential elections.”

NFL ratings took a major hit during the 2016 election, with a 14-percent drop. After the election, the numbers were flat in comparison to the prior year.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...-told-teams-not-to-worry-about-lower-ratings/

 

[MikeB80]

Take politics out of sports and the numbers will go up. Don't need an MBA from Yale to figure it out.

This is exactly what I have been saying for years.

For instance when I am bombarded with Military ads during commercial breaks in the stadium, during pregame and then of course before the game and during halftime.

Then throw in all the supernatural nonsense.

Glad to see you guys coming around. No one needs the military shoved down their throats in the stadiums.

 

[Kolemmitt]

Unless you time shift it. I still don't have the hang of remembering I can FF through the commercials.

True!

 

[Diehardblues]

Today, the entire world operates on-demand. While that reduces the numbers for all television content (except cable news), it underscores the value of properties that can gather a large, live audience.

The NFL continues to be the one thing that does it better than anything else. Don’t panic, even though the ratings had dropped by six percent.

Some continue to huff and puff, but nobody is blowing the NFL’s house down. The best games continue to generate huge ratings, despite the national turmoil we continue to endure in multiple different ways.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...-told-teams-not-to-worry-about-lower-ratings/

 

[Vanilla2]

The league did the math and they are willing to let a vocal minority’s viewership decline for long term growth. If they saw you as something more than a declining segment of revenue they’d be right there with you. Since you don’t like it that much you and your hardcore friends can find something else to put your time and money into.

 

[lostar2009]

Too much stuff going on right now. I can probably say 60% of NFL fans are REAL fans. The rest do it for hype, talk, but know nothing about it. They are nothing more than bandwagon fans, who get up for get togethers with fans. That crowd of people are focus on other stuff. Plus the NFL games this year have really been horrible. Besides the Cowboys vs Atlanta game there has not been any real buzz about the games. Besides when people was waiting for the Steelers to loose.

 

[Creeper]

I know more people in my circle of friends who have stopped watching NFL games for the reasons we cannot mention than I know people who are a current events statistic, if you know what I mean. When I talk to these friend now, 13 games into the season, they tell me they don't miss it and they actually feel like they have more time on their hands to do other things this time of year now. I don't think these fans are ever coming back.

I have been saying for years that football rose to be the number 1 sport in America because baseball dropped in popularity. And baseball dropped because they ruined the game in so many ways. Rampant free agency that seemed to benefit a handful of teams, slowing the game down with more commercials, slowing the games down because pitchers take forever to throw a pitch, slowing the game down to change pitchers on 3 or 4 consecutive batters, slowing the game down because prima donnas need to go through a 5 minute routine between every pitch, etc. all contributed to the decline in baseball. There's more but why bother? To me, the NFL is going down the same road, just more slowly.

 

[Cowboysheelsreds053]

Still the number 1 sport in the USA.

 

[MikeB80]

The league did the math and they are willing to let a vocal minority’s viewership decline for long term growth. If they saw you as something more than a declining segment of revenue they’d be right there with you. Since you don’t like it that much you and your hardcore friends can find something else to put your time and money into.

yes. They have many worthy activities.

They can storm pizza places in Brooklyn armed to find the criminals in the basement.
Open capone's vault.
join a cult (they are already in one) and wait for haley's comet's next pass
Attend a million man march with tens of tens of their friends.
parade through their local target with their weapons of choice in their combat gear to pick up some oreo's.

The activities for these busybodies is endless.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Offhand, I'd say you don't converse w/ many people.

Yeah, the posters comments are dead wrong, I would agree. I mean, that might not be that posters thing but it is a thing, for sure. Speaking only for myself, I'm tired of seeing a bunch of stuff interjected into the game instead of just watching and appreciating the sport. I can honestly see a point where I might just decide to turn it off and stop watching. Baseball had a very special relationship with America for years, before it reached a point where it seriously slipped. If the NFL is not careful, the same type of thing could happen.

 

[HungryLion]

“The 2020 election and other national news events are driving substantial consumption of cable news, taking meaningful share of audience from all other programming,” Rolapp wrote, via Ourand. “Historically, NFL viewership has declined in each of the past six presidential elections.”

NFL ratings took a major hit during the 2016 election, with a 14-percent drop. After the election, the numbers were flat in comparison to the prior year.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...-told-teams-not-to-worry-about-lower-ratings/

Yes. And that was all prior to the current “issue”


So like I said in an earlier post. I’m sure some fans stopped watching due to the “issue”

but it’s a small number. There isn’t much evidence yet that it’s going to lead to the long term demise of the NFL.

we shall see.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

It will be interesting to see how the NFL handles this going forward. Sure, it would be easy to simply blame the decline on current events. I am of a mind, however, that the drop in viewership is more systemic in nature -- quality of product on the field, politicization of sports in general, oversaturation and, dare I mention, the pampered and tolerated nature of the modern sports star -- and will not likely rebound without fundamental changes to the game itself.

I agree CC. I mean, not so long ago, current events didn't matter. Didn't matter what was going on, the NFL trumped everything. That's not the case any longer I guess. Hard to ignore that reality.

 

[ESisback]

Don't know if you've been following this but the thinking that a captive audience would be a ratings bonanza has not happened and in fact the TV nets are doing make goods and discounting the rates because of the 25% drop in viewership. It was off almost 50% on Thanksgiving. This is unheard of to be discounting rates on the NFL.

In case you haven't noticed, the commercial load has increased and the same tired ATT, Progressive, State Farm, Toyota ads are hard to avoid along with every prescription drug with s=ide effects as bad as what they're designed for. It is overkill to the point of really being interested in the game to stay with it. I find myself drifting and checking out what's going on elsewhere.

There are several reasons floating out there, one of which we cannot discuss here, but I do not think this is temporary, I think the NFL and the nets are going to have to adjust to what I think the real enemy is, choices. And I have seen some ad men addressing this as the challenge.

TV nets don't usually try to counter NFL programming and in fact will promote games on other nets but the new kids on the block, Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Hulu, Peacock and HBO MAX don't have to worry about that, they just keep cranking out the productions. And advertising them during the games.

It does sound logical that live sports would get a boost with a stay at home audience but all of them were off and not just by a little, MLB. NBA, NHL were in the dumpster. And the once impervious NFL joined them and with TV deals coming up tied to the cap, this will be most interesting to see where this goes.

Some will say this is temporary. Like some said the NFL ratings would go through the roof. I don't think so.

Yeah, I think the NFL has peaked, for a number of reasons:

1)Politics
2)SJ
3)Rule changes
4)Bad officiating
5)Entitled athletes/ridiculous money
6)Too many commercials
7)Too many choices/alternatives

 

[dreghorn2]

Honestly I use DAZN. 20 bucks a month and I get everything soccer related (which is my sport) and all football games and redzone. I also get boxing, UFC, etc. So it think its worthwhile. And stops the stupid commercials.

What soccer do they carry?

I see on their website it's Champs league, Europa, and Series A only, but perhaps i'm mistaken.

If they carried Ligue 1 or Bundesliga along with the Premier League i'm in.

 

[phildadon86]

What soccer do they carry?

I see on their website it's Champs league, Europa, and Series A only, but perhaps i'm mistaken.

If they carried Ligue 1 or Bundesliga along with the Premier League i'm in.

Ive seen a lot of premier league on it. Bundesliga and Ligue 1 i doubt. But why watch that anyways? Germany has 2 teams fighting every year and same with Ligue 1. lol. Just my 2 cents.

 

[MonsterD]

Everybody will have their "pet" reason on why ratings are down, for some it's the P-word for some it's the C-word for others (including me) it's because of the wide range of entertainment options that we have that our parents did not have!

Good point, with the Cowboys games being so bad now I mute the TV and really am watching livestreams on Twitch. I still watch all the plays, but just mostly laughing at how bad they are and then watching IRL of some idiots on Twitch.

 

[stilltheguru]

Nobody watches live tv anymore. It has nothing to do with politics or whatever crap people with questionable agendas want to believe so bad.


We’re in the Netflix era

I stream games and im guessing that doesnt count towards ratings

 

[Dale]

I have gotten into the NFL Red Zone Channel, and was recently thinking about its impact on advertising. I have no idea what viewership ratings the channel has, but I haven't watched a standard televised broadcast of a day game all season (outside of Cowboys games). I couldn't even tell you what companies advertise in those CBS and Fox slots since the Red Zone Channel just shows live action.

As a whole though, I certainly fall into the demographic who is watching less football. My Sunday afternoons used to be spent glued to the TV. Now I have the Red Zone Channel on in the background of a Google Hub screen as I go about my day. There are many Cowboys games I'm not even watching in entirety now, including last weekend.

For me individually, it's hard to pinpoint why. I think my interest in the Cowboys is gradually waning due to the stale nature of the franchise, and I'm more focused on my fantasy team, to be perfectly honest. I was more interested in what Kyler Murray was doing last weekend than with what was going on in the Cowboys' game. Anyone who has known me for a while on this board knows this is atypical for how passionate I have been about the Cowboys.

 

[dreghorn2]

Ive seen a lot of premier league on it. Bundesliga and Ligue 1 i doubt. But why watch that anyways? Germany has 2 teams fighting every year and same with Ligue 1. lol. Just my 2 cents.

No that's cool. I watch for the players and the game itself, less the teams. Thanks for the info.

 

[DCBoysfan]

I love watching the games and haven't met anyone who says they are not watching.