NFL Television ratings

[Buffalo_Stampede]

Must have something to do with online streams and phone streams.

 

I dont know how they figure in streaming TV. All these prime time games are streamed on Apple TV, Fire stick, Roku, NBC live, Twitter, Sling, and Chrome TV.

Edited September 24, 2016 by TheTruthHurts

[filthymcnasty08]

I'd say a combination of A) Finally hit the saturation point with having a full season of ( mostly bad) TNF . Games are all day Sun, then Mon. Thursday night is just too much NFL in prime time in a given week.

B) A very contentious political election year, and folks hate these BLM supporting anthem protests -plus the unrelenting coverage of them and focusing on them by the media. The media angle seems to completely support these protests and never mention the other side of the story ( support for law enforcement). That is a huge turnoff to much of the population and I think we are seeing large amounts of " casual fans" that usually would watch games deciding to change the channel. Sure , us die yards are still watching but their are lots of fans that don't feel that way and are fine doing something else. Just my opinion, but it seems the most obvious culprit. The most different from previous years. The NFL has been overproduced and over commercialized , as well as over- infused with "pop culture" for many years now.

 

Excellent points Esp on the casual fan…soccer probably on a better casual fan growth trajectory than football.

[Buftex]

I have been turned off by the over-saturation for about 10 years now...I never watch pre-game shows (maybe some of the Super Bowl pre-game), and I don't watch the Sunday night re-caps any longer...I will say, I still watch most of the Sunday and Monday night games, but a lot of the time, I simply have them on as background noise. I still watch every moment of every Bills game, ever week...but it becomes more of an effort that the pleasure it used to be. The number of commercials is a real turnoff to me...if I am watching a game that I am very engaged in, I often start watching about 15 minutes after real time, so I can fast forward through ads. I hate them...

 

The NFL has always treated their fans like garbage, so that is nothing new....

[gomper]

Speaking of College Football, did I just see Stanford cover -3 on the last play of the game, up by 2? Lol

[justnzane]

I agree with the takes here. I find myself numb to the game. Here are some of my reasons:

• ESPN and NFL Network don't report the games and highlights like they used to. Too much pieces on stories I don't care about and not enough keys to each game for pre-game, and highlights of each game in post game.
• The personalities that litter the booths and studios lack intelligence and proficiency in the articulation of the English language. I want to vomit when I hear words like "trickeration" or other made up non-sense when proper words like "trickery" already exist.
• The fact that the NFL has done a terrible job taking care of its alumni with regards to health care. The league would be nothing without them, and the NFL should at least ensure that they have enough of a pension and medical expenses covered. They used these guys and spit them out on society as broken men.
• The changing of the rules to favor pass has made it tougher to watch. There is more incompletions, which stop the game, thus making it last longer. By having more plays, this leads to a higher injury rate as well, which also lengthens the game.
• As someone who suffered multiple concussions from playing as a kid, I find the gross negligence of denying the science and sweeping it under the rug for so long reprehensible. By forcing changes to equipment and rules earlier, less people would have gone through summers of being sensitive of light even on cloudy days, like I did, or worse.
• The commercials are redundant. Do we really need them after a PAT and again after the following kickoff? This is more time wasted.
• The way discipline has been handled is a freaking mess. There is a lack of consistency that is abhorrent. If anything, the NFL needs to follow the NCAA in being strict and predictable against colleges/franchises. The cheaters get games won removed from records, meaning the Pats* win no Super Bowls. Athletes get punished hard for criminal infractions, and for the most part booted off the team/out of school in college. This also means that the scumbags of the league are facing harsher punishments, meaning more incentive to not screw up. The drug policy is pretty screwed where the locker rooms push opiates to treat pain, and ban weed. I'd rather see a policy where weed is treated like alcohol (meaning DUI's matter and not testing positive for it)
• The officiating and rules interpretations are so mindnumbingly bad. A catch should be common sense: 3 steps with possession or 2 feet down and possession to ground. Instant replay could be simpler: A replay official (sitting in a control room) talking to the ref via headset, instead of ref running across field to a booth and wasting 5 minutes of time to still get the call wrong.

I used to love the game, but I watch less and less each year, as it isn't what I grew up watching. A 3 hour game is now a 4 hour drama factory with crappy stories like Butt Fumble and Tebow running shirtless in the rain taking precedence to the game.

/rant

[maddenboy]

I agree with a lot of what is said above. I have been an enormous fan of NFL football for many years, but this season, I see my interest waning a bit. Reasons for me:

 

1. The Bills are a dumpster fire Laughing stock. It's hard to be too interested when my own team is so bad.

 

4. Concussions and injuries. I used to cheer the big hits, but now I think about the impact it has on these guys brains. Same for knees, ankles, ribs, etc. Guys are too big, strong and fast. I find myself cringing at times watching these guys go down every game or playing with obvious injuries. I want Sammy Watkins on the field, but I cringe when I see him limping around the field. I played football back in the day and loved every minute of it, but would not let my kids play.

 

10. Commercials. There is no continuity to a game with constant commercial breaks. I really hate it when they cut to commercial after a score, then show the kickoff, then take another commercial break immediately after. It is ridiculous.

 

 

4) I think its because there arent true, deep hate-filled rivalries anymore. I dont like to see guys hurt, but to this day, when a Dolphin gets hurt, I still cheer.

 

10) Constant. I TiVo-d a game last weekend and started to notice that there was a commercial break after every change of possession. And yep, by games end, there was not a single time where flow wasnt broken by a commercial break.

Its not that I hate commercials (personally I never watch them, on purpose, aggressively, neurotically) and i'm all for capitalism, but I want football.

 

After a game, I want to feel like i watched a football game. Not a mini-series with 40 episodes.

 

The game doesnt feel like football anymore. It feels like . . . click-bait.

Edited September 25, 2016 by maddenboy

[GunnerBill]

 

10. Commercials. There is no continuity to a game with constant commercial breaks. I really hate it when they cut to commercial after a score, then show the kickoff, then take another commercial break immediately after. It is ridiculous.

Agree 100% on this one.

[Big Gun]

I just watch the Bills game, no pre game or post game. Other games are on as background noise but i'm usually doing something else.

 

Commercials are to much, no need to try and sell me Big Mac for the millionth time. No means no!

 

The refs have way way to much influence on the outcome of a game. It really feels like it's out of the players hands now.

 

There is too much football everywhere. It's on tv 3 or 4 days a week, its all over the internet constantly, it's everywhere, too saturated.

 

Can't stand the sideline reporters and the need to ask the coaches the dumbest halftime questions they could think up. Just stop already.

 

Oh, I could go on and on...

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

They probably don't count people watching it illegally.

Prime time games are actually very hard to watch any other way than free.

 

My belief is red zone is changing the fanbase's tolerance for the lethargy of an actual game.

[TheFunPolice]

MNF has been unwatchable for a while

 

I remember when those were premier matchups.

 

Now I almost never watch.

Also, it seems like there aren't many really great teams.

 

It's NE* as far as complete teams go. Denver Is a great defense. Who else is really a great overall team?

[DriveFor1Outta5]

MNF has been unwatchable for a while

 

I remember when those were premier matchups.

 

Now I almost never watch.

Also, it seems like there aren't many really great teams.

 

It's NE* as far as complete teams go. Denver Is a great defense. Who else is really a great overall team?

Good point. Things are rough when even the Super Bowl champs can be hard to watch. Watching Denvers offense is like watching paint dry. You simply watch to see if their defense can dominate, and create enough turnovers to win. More often than not they do.

[jaybee]

Thanks for the super input everyone. Must say: very surprised with the answers and learning that I'm not the only one annoyed with all the stuff you guys have brought up.

 

According to Fox sports radio over-nighter Ben Maller; week 3 ratings (excluding Monday night) were down somewhere between 10-15%. He seems to think it is mainly due to the Anthem kneelers going on to say that 44% of those surveyed responded very negatively to these antics.

 

Whatever the case....if this continues the NFL may have a biit of an issue on their hands. In business a 10% downturn is significant.

 

Many thanks everybody.

 

GO BILLS !

Edited September 27, 2016 by jaybee

[billsfan89]

The NFL is as popular as it has ever been but I think the slight dip in ratings can be attributed to Goodell's horrible handling of the leagues affairs, bad Monday Night Football Matchups (As well as last nights debates), and The Anthem protests have all chipped away at the NFL's image which is likely turning away casual fans that make the difference between 19 million and 22 million people.

[Mr. WEO]

I think there's something to it…but it has been something developing slowly in the background over a long time….and I think there will be a quickening if they keep things going the way they have

 

FWIW: Here are some things that I feel may have contributed

 

Too many commercials

 

Too much over-production of the telecast…robots, country singers and stupid intro's, extra special reports from female reporters (Fox and ESPN are main culprits). Everything over the top.

 

Too many nationally televised games (MNF used to be a huge format and an event…too hard to get the marquis match ups and many games are blowouts...everything has a watered down feel now yet they still broadcast it like it's a huge event)

 

Too much tinkering with the game for the purists

 

With the CTE backstory, many parents no longer want to glorify this game to their kids

 

Too corporate and too political: this game is part of people's weekends and they don't need to cross the streams

Disney/ABC/ESPN: Dancing with the freaking stars being plugged on the NFL telecast. The pink bow was enough for awareness…now it's a joke.

 

Game is regressing, Talent is watered down…just not enough top quality QB's to go around. We know that too well.

 

FANTASY: those with fantasy teams only want to watch NFL Red Zone…they do not care about engaging a single game - just stats

 

None of the things you listed have changed over the past year or two.

 

National game ratings are down because the matchups suck.

[PatsFanNH]

Getting back to the original post, I do believe it depends on who is playing. As an example: The NFL loves the Pats in prime time because:

 

A. NE fans will watch

 

B. Other fans will watch because they hate the Patriots.

 

I at times believe the NFL makes crap up to make them a bigger villain just to keep people watching them. And for a long time as the White Hat they had Indy and P Manning (then it went to the Broncos) I am not sure who the ultimate GOOD guy is now. But I think you get my drift, I don't think they rig games but they influence people's opinions about teams to get them to watch more than just their home team

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

I just hate the flow. The 2 minute warning is essentially an extended commercial break. Every change of posession - commercial. Every challenge/turnover/review - Commercial. Every kickoff/punt/change of posession - commercial. It's a bit ridiculous.

 

I used to like to watch the highlight shows, but lately I just go on my tablet on NFL.com and watch them on there. It's less of a hassle.

[Cugalabanza]

I think there's something to it…but it has been something developing slowly in the background over a long time….and I think there will be a quickening if they keep things going the way they have

 

FWIW: Here are some things that I feel may have contributed

 

Too many commercials

 

Too much over-production of the telecast…robots, country singers and stupid intro's, extra special reports from female reporters (Fox and ESPN are main culprits). Everything over the top.

 

Too many nationally televised games (MNF used to be a huge format and an event…too hard to get the marquis match ups and many games are blowouts...everything has a watered down feel now yet they still broadcast it like it's a huge event)

 

Too much tinkering with the game for the purists

 

With the CTE backstory, many parents no longer want to glorify this game to their kids

 

Too corporate and too political: this game is part of people's weekends and they don't need to cross the streams

Disney/ABC/ESPN: Dancing with the freaking stars being plugged on the NFL telecast. The pink bow was enough for awareness…now it's a joke.

 

Game is regressing, Talent is watered down…just not enough top quality QB's to go around. We know that too well.

 

FANTASY: those with fantasy teams only want to watch NFL Red Zone…they do not care about engaging a single game - just stats

I agree that this is an excellent summary. I'll add that, in addition to the ridiculous amount of commercials, they are increasingly inserting ad content during the actual telecast, in between plays. Little pop-up promos for network shows, annoying pushy mini-commercials about why you should be accessing some BS content on your mobile devices with this or that provider, etc... to the point that the commentators are less tuned into the game. There are times when I'm wanting to know "did that play count?"..."what's the flag for?!"...and none of that is being shown or discussed because the announcers have all this stupid other content that they're required to get through.

 

All of these things accumulate to make the whole experience feel like kind of a drag. I find that it's hard for me to watch a late game after I've watched the Bills because it's actually fatiguing after a while.

Edited September 27, 2016 by Cugalabanza

[BuffaloHokie13]

Getting back to the original post, I do believe it depends on who is playing. As an example: The NFL loves the Pats in prime time because:

 

A. NE fans will watch

 

B. Other fans will watch because they hate the Patriots.

 

I at times believe the NFL makes crap up to make them a bigger villain just to keep people watching them. And for a long time as the White Hat they had Indy and P Manning (then it went to the Broncos) I am not sure who the ultimate GOOD guy is now. But I think you get my drift, I don't think they rig games but they influence people's opinions about teams to get them to watch more than just their home team

Maybe I hate them more than the people you speak of, but I refuse to watch Pats* games unless they are also Bills games.

[Kirby Jackson]

Maybe I hate them more than the people you speak of, but I refuse to watch Pats* games unless they are also Bills games.

It's odd because they were the most irrelevant team in the league 15 years ago. No one in New England knew anything about football. They were Red Sox fans awaiting spring training. They are still some of, if not the, least informed fans in the entire NFL. It's a shame that they have had these 15 years of excellence. It couldn't have happened to a less deserving fan base. The sense of entitlement and the condescending manner in which they handle themselves is why they are despised around the league.

 

I lived there for college from '99 - '03. My uncle had lived there the previous 15 years. He used to tell me to ask a Pats fan to name 3 starting QBs between their 1st and 2nd Super Bowl appearance. There were about 1 out of 5 of them that could answer it.

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

Yup. And it gets worse every year.

 

Like I said the actual game is secondary to everything else.

 

The coverage of the protesting to me is very strange. This guy kneeled during the anthem. This guy raised his hand. These guys locked arms.

 

I don't understand the plight of the African-American community - and I won't pretend to - but it isn't newsworthy to me who is protesting. Shouldn't it be more about why?