Ratings way down for NFL opener: Just Do IT!

Ratings way down for NFL opener

Posted by Michael David Smith on September 7, 2018, 10:04 AM EDT

The NFL’s opening Thursday night game got disappointing TV ratings for a league that is battling perceptions of rapidly declining popularity.

NBC announced a 13.4 overnight rating for the Super Bowl champion Eagles’ last-second win over the Falcons. That was way down from the 14.6 for Chiefs-Patriots last year, which itself was way down from a 16.5 for Panthers-Broncos the year before, which itself was way down from a 17.7 for Steelers-Patriots the year before that.

Are there extenuating circumstances? Sure. Kickoff was delayed by almost an hour because of thunderstorms in Philadelphia, and the game was a sloppy, penalty-filled mess.

But there are only so many times that the NFL can spin its ratings decline as being the result of extenuating circumstances. Whatever the reasons, the league’s television ratings are not the juggernaut they once were. The NFL still gets national television ratings that any other sport (or, for that matter, any entertainment program) would kill for, but it no longer gets the kinds of television ratings it got a few years back. (NBC)

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. Originally Posted by I B Hankering

Yet NFL football took the #1 and #2 positions in prime time last week.

The “Sunday Night Football” game between Green Bay and Chicago won NBC the top spot of the week in the adults 18-49 and total viewers measures with a 7.5 rating and 22.12 million. The network’s broadcast of the “Thursday Night Football” game from earlier in the week came second in both measures (6.7, 19.03 million viewers) as well.

Nevertheless, NFL ratings are still declining.

NBC announced a 13.4 overnight rating for the Super Bowl champion Eagles’ last-second win over the Falcons. That was way down from the 14.6 for Chiefs-Patriots last year, which itself was way down from a 16.5 for Panthers-Broncos the year before, which itself was way down from a 17.7 for Steelers-Patriots the year before that.

Are there extenuating circumstances? Sure. Kickoff was delayed by almost an hour because of thunderstorms in Philadelphia, and the game was a sloppy, penalty-filled mess.

But there are only so many times that the NFL can spin its ratings decline as being the result of extenuating circumstances.

Nevertheless, NFL ratings are still declining. Originally Posted by I B Hankering

Yes they are. And TV ratings for ALL shows on ALL conventional TV channels have been dropping for years.

It's 2017 and everyone in broadcast television is miserable. All 5 of the over-the-air English-language networks are down again in Nielsen’s TV ratings, though some are retaining Fall 2016 numbers better than others.

NBC is hanging in there better than the rest of its competition — and that’s before the channel’s 2018 Winter Olympics and next year’s Super Bowl LII. The best-rated broadcast channel is currently averaging a 2.4 rating among adults 18-49, which is the demographic most-coveted by advertisers.

Good stuff, NBC. Oh, but you’re still down 8 percent season-to-date in that all-important age-range. At least that’s better than CBS and The CW, which are both down 14 percent; ABC, which is at a minus 16 percent; and Fox, which is one point worse than even the Disney-owned broadcast channel.

https://www.thewrap.com/broadcast-tv...bs-abc-fox-cw/

As noted in the article, "there are only so many times that the NFL can spin its ratings decline as being the result of extenuating circumstances."

As noted in the article, "there are only so many times that the NFL can spin its ratings decline as being the result of extenuating circumstances." Originally Posted by I B Hankering

And the article goes on to say:

"The NFL still gets national television ratings that any other sport (or, for that matter, any entertainment program) would kill for, but it no longer gets the kinds of television ratings it got a few years back."


Does the NFL REALLY care about declining TV ratings?

Amid all the hand-wringing and propagandizing over the damage done to the NFL’s popularity by player protests during pregame national anthem ceremonies, the important available numbers continue to paint a picture of a league that is invulnerable to controversy. The NFL’s ratings are up in relation to general TV viewership trends, and now this: the NFL distributed more than $8 billion—a new record—via revenue sharing in 2017, per a report from ESPN’s Darren Rovell:

The bump is an increase of 4.9 percent in national revenues, attributed to an escalator in the league’s TV deals and the league’s Thursday Night Football package becoming more valuable.

Packers president Mark Murphy said any effects from the NFL’s tough season, including the national anthem controversy, did not manifest in the books.

https://deadspin.com/all-the-controv...nue-1827646752

And the article goes on to say:

"The NFL still gets national television ratings that any other sport (or, for that matter, any entertainment program) would kill for, but it no longer gets the kinds of television ratings it got a few years back."


Does the NFL REALLY care about declining TV ratings?

Amid all the hand-wringing and propagandizing over the damage done to the NFL’s popularity by player protests during pregame national anthem ceremonies, the important available numbers continue to paint a picture of a league that is invulnerable to controversy. The NFL’s ratings are up in relation to general TV viewership trends, and now this: the NFL distributed more than $8 billion—a new record—via revenue sharing in 2017, per a report from ESPN’s Darren Rovell:

The bump is an increase of 4.9 percent in national revenues, attributed to an escalator in the league’s TV deals and the league’s Thursday Night Football package becoming more valuable.

Packers president Mark Murphy said any effects from the NFL’s tough season, including the national anthem controversy, did not manifest in the books.

https://deadspin.com/all-the-controv...nue-1827646752 Originally Posted by SpeedRacerXXX

There article reports that NFL ratings are in serious decline, and deflection and excuses go just so far when trying to account for lost revenue.

There article reports that NFL ratings are in serious decline, and deflection and excuses go just so far when trying to account for lost revenue. Originally Posted by I B Hankering

And as long as the money keeps rolling in for the NFL, their concern over declining TV ratings is low. There is no indication that revenue for NFL teams is declining. No deflection. Truth.

And as long as the money keeps rolling in for the NFL, their concern over declining TV ratings is low. There is no indication that revenue for NFL teams is declining. No deflection. Truth. Originally Posted by SpeedRacerXXX

The concern, as intimated by the article, is that the money isn't "rolling in" like it was just three years ago because viewers are finding other distractions they deem more worthy of their time and money ... even as the NFL and its partisan fans find excuses to dismiss that decline in viewers.

And as long as the money keeps rolling in for the NFL, their concern over declining TV ratings is low. There is no indication that revenue for NFL teams is declining. No deflection. Truth. Originally Posted by SpeedRacerXXX

You do know the NFL had to rebate millions to advertisers last year for the drop in ratings. I played football for pay one year. If I saw jackasses fucking up the golden goose for kneeling for the NA I would be pissed. This will eventually effect player salaries. They split the pie with the owners. Smaller pie, smaller salaries. Dumbfucks

Every week, thousands of older, NFL fans who for years have planned their Sundays from Sept to Jan around the TV die, and every week thousands of kids get their first cell phone and don't have the patience to watch any video that is longer than 2 minutes. It's inevitable.



And, personally, while I know plenty that don't care for it, I don't know ANYONE that gives enough of a shit about what the players are doing during the pledge to not watch the game.

[QUOTE=Denali68;1060897849

And, personally, while I know plenty that don't care for it, I don't know ANYONE that gives enough of a shit about what the players are doing during the pledge to not watch the game.[/QUOTE]


I'm one old guy that did not watch a game last year, and I will not watch one this year.

I like College ball better. But it probably won't be long untill the "student athletes"
start pulling the same shift.

I'm one old guy that did not watch a game last year, and I will not watch one this year.

I like College ball better. But it probably won't be long untill the "student athletes"
start pulling the same shift. Originally Posted by Jackie S

Ditto, Saturday’s are the bomb. Sunday’s not so much. I’ll watch the Steelers then tune out.

I'm one old guy that did not watch a game last year, and I will not watch one this year.
Originally Posted by Jackie S

Same here. I'd be one of the non-viewers pulling down the NFL's viewing numbers.

Put me down as as another non-viewer. The product gets more boring by the year, as there are really no teams left. Just groups of hired-gun mercenaries ready to jump to the next "team" when a higher bidder steps up.