dave mcbride Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Your Tribune link is bad, Dave. Interesting that college football ratings are up: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-college-football-vs-nfl-20170921-story.html Aargh - fixed it, but here it is again. I'm in northern Thailand right now and not on top of it. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-football-youth-decline-met-20170904-story.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MakeBuffaloGreatAgain Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Extremely overstated and "snowflake" is such a stupid/divisive term that's sullying the movie Fight Club for me. Those that won't watch football because of some players kneeling during the anthem aren't huge football fans to begin with. Not true at all on your last point. I live and breathe Bills/NFL. At least I used to. 50% of my clothes are Bills apparel. I had XM radio just so I could listen to NFL talk all year long. But I had to cut the cord when these snowflakes made it about politics and hating our country, and not about football. PS: snowflake is the perfect term for these hypersensitive nut jobs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sullim4 Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 The fact that it's on ESPN has everything to do with it. I subscribe to DirecTV's select package. I don't get ESPN, FS1, etc. I'm pleased as punch that I'm not giving $8/mo to ESPN. If the Bills are on MNF next season (or, by some miracle, are on ESPN's wild card game), I'll just subscribe to the next package up for one month, then drop it. Few things would make me happier than to see ESPN die a prolonged, horrible, painful death. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punching Bag Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 (edited) Hate Thursday games. Not fair to players. Hate overseas games. Thursday games should be during scheduled "bye" weeks for both teams even if it means two games are played - say one on East coast and one on West coast giving one game to each network. See four weeks, long rest between games so not unfair. Yes no true bye week but that only becomes issue when bye week has to be used as makeup week like Miami-Tampa game. Would take some more scheduling factors but it would give all players a rest. S M T W T F S G - - - - - - - - - - G - - - - - - - - - G - - - - - - The fact that it's on ESPN has everything to do with it. I subscribe to DirecTV's select package. I don't get ESPN, FS1, etc. I'm pleased as punch that I'm not giving $8/mo to ESPN. If the Bills are on MNF next season (or, by some miracle, are on ESPN's wild card game), I'll just subscribe to the next package up for one month, then drop it. Few things would make me happier than to see ESPN die a prolonged, horrible, painful death. Few things would make me happier than to see DirecTV die a prolonged, horrible, painful death. I am not giving much more than $8/mo. Edited October 18, 2017 by Limeaid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Brown Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 It's a race war, really. No. It's a culture war. An extremely dumb one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanley Lombardi Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 They've managed to politicize a frickin football game. I give as much of a s*it what the left guard of the New Orleans Saints thinks about politics as the left guard of the New Orleans Saints gives about what I think of politics.It 'tain't fun anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dayman Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 I hontestly think people are less interested: 1. "Political" garbage obviously doesn't help 2. Penalties suck 3. Commercials and other breaks are way out of hand 4. Lack of good QB play is hurting the game 5. I think "casual" fans are slowly getting over fantasy (at least in terms of it increasing game watching) Makes sense. You sit there and watch a bunch of commercials, penalties ruin about half of the drives most teams get going, there are commercial breaks constantly, and on top if it this kneeing thing is not popular. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frostbitmic Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 1. Poor officiating, Penalty flags on seemingly every other play makes watching the games a chore. 2. Enough of Tom Brady and the patriots* ... seriously, enough already. 3. Bye weeks ... This past weekend as an example didn't have the Bills, SeaHawks, Cowboys or Bengals playing, as you could see here, many Bills fans didn't care this weekend. 4. The cities of St. Louis and San Diego have just lost their teams and likely turned many of those fans off of the NFL. Raider fans in Oakland may have thrown in the towel already too. 5. Sunday night took over from Monday night years ago. Thursday nights just over saturate the market. 6. Bob Kraft, Jerry Jones and Roger Goodell are annoying and the NFL is their rats nest. 7. Stadium beer is too expensive 8. London games makes it possible for a football junkie to watch 4 games on Sundays ... Burns you out on Mondays. 9. After drinking heavily since Thursday night and working hungover on Monday , going to bed early on Monday is necessary. 10. Today's announcers make me miss Dan Dierdorf. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mannc Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Not true at all on your last point. I live and breathe Bills/NFL. At least I used to. 50% of my clothes are Bills apparel. I had XM radio just so I could listen to NFL talk all year long. But I had to cut the cord when these snowflakes made it about politics and hating our country, and not about football.Then what are you doing here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpberr Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 It's a stale product. At this point it's overproduced. They could improve it by jettisoning the announcers and opinion and let the game play. They should also start the clever intros TNF started doing. Those are offshoots from how NBC and CBS would intro games in the 80s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8-8 Forever? Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 For me it is NFL Red Zone. After watching a Sunday full of football with no commercials or downtime, it is almost impossible to watch a regularly televised game. I think Red Zone is also taking away from game attendance and Sunday viewership as well red zone is tremendous, yes bc no delays, all action, basically live highlights Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philly McButterpants Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 A) the number of commercial breaks/length of game. everything is a reason for a TV timeout it's annoying. B) Officiating is atrocious, and blatantly biased towards bigger markets/better draws. I've said for years that the WWE has better officiating than does the NFL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just in Atlanta Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Cord cutting. So many streaming options. Red Zone, Sunday Ticket, etc. Over saturation due to TNF. Just not special anymore. Less middle class interested due to CTE. Over officiating. Protests have also had an effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cripple Creek Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Diluted prime time product. You have Thursday stand alone games. You have Sunday night stand alone games. You have Monday night stand alone games. You have Fox and CBS paying umpteen kazillion dollars for "normal" Sunday afternoon games. Each network needs its share of compelling match ups to keep the brass happy. You have schedules made in April(?). How hot a property will GB be going forward? You have a too many unwatchable teams. Who outside of the fan base is interested in watching a team like Buffalo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCal Deek Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 It's a race war, really. That's exactly what the anarchists aligned with the Left want you to think. We live in the most diverse country in the history of civilization. Look around you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Wagon Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 It has nothing to do with people watching or not watching the anthem. It has to do with many conservative Americans turning away from the NFL due to a perceived disrespect of the anthem and therefore the military, by some NFL players. In reality, I believe it is a combination of all of the above. The product on the field is watered down and the NFL owners seem a bit out of touch. Is it only MNF that has lower numbers? I am under the impression that ratings and attendance are down across the board. Please. The snowflakes that aren't watching because of the anthem are a drop in the bucket. It has much more to do with terrible matchups, the slog that is watching only 1 game due to commercials and stoppages and over saturation of the product. Redzone is readily available now and is a way better product than what they've done to the flow of singular games, I know I can't be the only one that can't stomach a primetime game after the 7 hour barrage of no commercials and constant action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo_Stampede Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 I read a few months ago that TV ratings in general are down. It has nothing to do with the NFL. People are finding new ways to watch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mat68 Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 (edited) Espn seems to have the less attractive TV deal with the NFL. From my understanding, CBS and FOX get to pick an AFC and NFC matchup each week. NBC gets the next pick with the ability to flip flop with either network later in the year. Then Thursday night and Monday night fight over the rest. Monday and Thursday night are tough because they are in the middle of the standard work week. Both run til midnight. For rating to improve Monday and Thursday the telecasts need to be creative so they avoid commerical, kick , commercial. They are at the point of over saturation. Thursday games are always sloppy because they don't have adequate time to prepare. Edited October 18, 2017 by Mat68 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsfan_34 Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 You have to think of it in business owner sense. Its not literally losing a dollar. If business owner makes x amount one year and the next year they make x - 1 dollar, they look at it as if they lost a dollar. The term "profits are down" doesn't mean they lost more money then they made. It means they didn't make as much as last year or whatever amount of time.[/quote Good take- anothervariable to consider tho- NFL ratings are way down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo_Stampede Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 (edited) Espn seems to have the less attractive TV deal with the NFL. From my understanding, CBS and FOX get to pick an AFC and NFC matchup each week. NBC gets the next pick with the ability to flip flop with either network later in the year. Then Thursday night and Monday night fight over the rest. Monday and Thursday night are tough because they are in the middle of the standard work week. Both run til midnight. For rating to improve Monday and Thursday the telecasts need to be creative so they avoid commerical, kick , commercial. They are at the point of over saturation. Thursday games are always sloppy because they don't have adequate time to prepare. Still #1 show on TV. Advertisers will continue dumping money into the #1 show. Not sure how they account for people that don't watch at home, but I haven't watched a Bills game at home in 3 years. I watch on NFL mobile on my phone. One of the reasons I have a huge 6" phone. I never miss a Bills game. Also can't remember the last time I watched anything through cable. I watch using apps. I pay for cable, but I just use my smart TV to access everything. I'm probably one of the few that still pays for cable but uses apps to access TV. Cable subscribers are dropping. TV ratings are dropping. It's not rocket science. Edited October 18, 2017 by TheTruthHurts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T master Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Ever since the brain child that changed MNF from a FREE show on ABC to a ESPN show of which you had to have a cable subscription i would think the ratings have been on a downward trend ! Not to mention when Al Micheal's (the best football announcer left from the golden era of football) moved to SNF , MNF was doomed !! SNF has replaced MNF as the game of the week & if the folks at ESPN/ABC can't figure that out then they are right up there with he politicians !! When ever you have free verses pay to view free is going to win , not to mention IMHO people are getting tired of the "it's all about WATCH ME" league that the NFL is & has turned into ! It use to be Joe to Jerry , Dan to Duper, & Kelly to Andre, with a fist pump & a high 5 on the sideline now each game has it's game plan & it's celebration plan !! Players practice what stupid celebration they can do when they score & who can out do who during that celebration not to mention all of the other distractions in the game today ... We use to go to watch football to forget about the crap that was involved in every day life & now it is just an extension of it , Just play football as it was meant to be & leave the other stuff to your off the field time !! But MNF will never be the icon of football that it once was because the powers that be will always try to make perfection better like the NFL trying to put games in london, mexico & where ever else they can they will never learn !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo_Stampede Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 (edited) Ever since the brain child that changed MNF from a FREE show on ABC to a ESPN show of which you had to have a cable subscription i would think the ratings have been on a downward trend ! Not to mention when Al Micheal's (the best football announcer left from the golden era of football) moved to SNF , MNF was doomed !! SNF has replaced MNF as the game of the week & if the folks at ESPN/ABC can't figure that out then they are right up there with he politicians !! When ever you have free verses pay to view free is going to win , not to mention IMHO people are getting tired of the "it's all about WATCH ME" league that the NFL is & has turned into ! It use to be Joe to Jerry , Dan to Duper, & Kelly to Andre, with a fist pump & a high 5 on the sideline now each game has it's game plan & it's celebration plan !! Players practice what stupid celebration they can do when they score & who can out do who during that celebration not to mention all of the other distractions in the game today ... We use to go to watch football to forget about the crap that was involved in every day life & now it is just an extension of it , Just play football as it was meant to be & leave the other stuff to your off the field time !! But MNF will never be the icon of football that it once was because the powers that be will always try to make perfection better like the NFL trying to put games in london, mexico & where ever else they can they will never learn !! That's stupid. NFL celebrations have long been part of the game and have no impact on viewers. In most cases they are fun and fans join in. Edited October 18, 2017 by TheTruthHurts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Other reasons I thought of just this morning in a 30 minute span: 1) While watching Mike and Mike (over analysis of the league by big mouths) 2) they talked to an "NFL Insider" (over analysis again) 3) about the owner's meeting and how the NFLPA made certain demands (entitlement millionaires) 4) regarding the national anthem 5) and whether Colin Kaepernick was at the meeting (lol lol lol why that knucklehead would be at the NFL meeting since he's suing them) 6) and how the player's association is entitled to some concessions on the anthem issue (entitlement) or they will lose money 7) and then the second story was how Zeke Elliot's suspension was lifted by another, different retraining order when he should have served his suspension and been done with it by now. The whole 30 minute session of Mike and Mike kinda made me ill...oh, then they spent a few minutes on the Yankees game which was a much bigger story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockpile233 Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 It's getting harder and harder to deal with commercial break after commercial break. I also hate all challenges and reviews, which slow the game down, lead to more commercial breaks, and are often screwed up by incompetent officiating anyway. I play fantasy football so I watch most prime time games, but if I didn't there is no way I'd watch. I don't even enjoy watching football anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo_Stampede Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Other reasons I thought of just this morning in a 30 minute span: 1) While watching Mike and Mike (over analysis of the league by big mouths) 2) they talked to an "NFL Insider" (over analysis again) 3) about the owner's meeting and how the NFLPA made certain demands (entitlement millionaires) 4) regarding the national anthem 5) and whether Colin Kaepernick was at the meeting (lol lol lol why that knucklehead would be at the NFL meeting since he's suing them) 6) and how the player's association is entitled to some concessions on the anthem issue (entitlement) or they will lose money 7) and then the second story was how Zeke Elliot's suspension was lifted by another, different retraining order when he should have served his suspension and been done with it by now. The whole 30 minute session of Mike and Mike kinda made me ill...oh, then they spent a few minutes on the Yankees game which was a much bigger story. I can't remember the last time I watched ESPN or NFL Network or any pre game show on Fox, NBC, or CBS. I get all my highlights online. I get everything online. It's simply just people are watching differently. No major story here, although creating a major story sells. It's not an NFL problem, it's an entire TV problem. Cable companies losing subscribers everyday. It's getting harder and harder to deal with commercial break after commercial break. I also hate all challenges and reviews, which slow the game down, lead to more commercial breaks, and are often screwed up by incompetent officiating anyway. I play fantasy football so I watch most prime time games, but if I didn't there is no way I'd watch. I don't even enjoy watching football anymore. Redzone channel is the best way to watch IMO. Also watch that though the app. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 the games suck and are boring, without my team playing or some $$$ riding on it, how can anyone sit there for 3 hours watching this dreck? in the late 70s i went to a concert and Sly Stone and someone else (Joe Cocker??) both were totally wasted and got through 2 minutes before vomiting and collapsing. and that was ten times better than most NFL games this season Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
26CornerBlitz Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 @SInow NFL television viewership is down 7.5% compared to last season https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/10/18/nfl-television-ratings-decline That overall decline is 7.5%, although Monday Night Football on ESPN is averaging just over 11 million viewers per game, up 6%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo_Stampede Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 (edited) @SInow NFL television viewership is down 7.5% compared to last season https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/10/18/nfl-television-ratings-decline That overall decline is 7.5%, although Monday Night Football on ESPN is averaging just over 11 million viewers per game, up 6%. Cable companies lost 1.4 million subscribers in 2016. 2017 numbers not known. It's a TV problem. http://www.vulture.com/2017/05/2016-2017-tv-season-in-five-really-depressing-charts.html Edited October 18, 2017 by TheTruthHurts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlimShady'sSpaceForce Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Blame the millennials Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo_Stampede Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 the games suck and are boring, without my team playing or some $$$ riding on it, how can anyone sit there for 3 hours watching this dreck? in the late 70s i went to a concert and Sly Stone and someone else (Joe Cocker??) both were totally wasted and got through 2 minutes before vomiting and collapsing. and that was ten times better than most NFL games this season None of this stops people from watching. People can't afford cable companies. There are other ways to get TV now. It's very simple. Nielsen ratings don't account for this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyBatty is alive Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 I could, but would see no reason to. That would be petty of me, in my opinion. I understand it's my business, my only point is to refute everyone that says, "anybody else would get fired if they did that at their job" . Not in this case. Bad analogy. Your employees are not "the product", in the NFL the players are in fact the product, nothing more than physical actors on a stage. people pay to watch the product and if they dont like for wahtever reason and stop watching/buying, then your bis gets hurt.. I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunnerBill Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Bad analogy. Your employees are not "the product", in the NFL the players are in fact the product, nothing more than physical actors on a stage. people pay to watch the product and if they dont like for wahtever reason and stop watching/buying, then your bis gets hurt.. Klos wasn't trying to make an analogy. He was simply refuting the comment that any other worker in any other workplace would be sacked for it. He wasn't saying his employees were the same as NFL players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 None of this stops people from watching. People can't afford cable companies. There are other ways to get TV now. It's very simple. Nielsen ratings don't account for this. So you are arguing the game is more popular than ever? You can't compare ratings with the days when you had 3 channels and a show could get literally 1/2 the households watching intently the whole time, watching the commercials in their entirety. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunnerBill Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 So you are arguing the game is more popular than ever? You can't compare ratings with the days when you had 3 channels and a show could get literally 1/2 the households watching intently the whole time, watching the commercials in their entirety. I think that is kind of his point..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PolishDave Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Blame the millennials Honestly a lot of it is because of them. Many of them would rather play video games than watch football. Our culture in America is changing. To a tech savvy person, there are so many other options besides football - many of them are more desirable obviously. And it is over-saturation. Remember when Cabbage Patch dolls were all the rage and everyone wanted to get one for their kid? It was because there wasn't enough supply to meet demand and it created an increasing demand spiral. Or when Apple releases a new product - and doesn't have enough of that product to meet demand - it makes people want that product even more. NFL is everywhere all the time now. You don't have to wait for it and anticipate it - except for your team's game on Sunday. NFL has over-supplied the market - and it is no longer a "can't wait to get this" item. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo_Stampede Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 (edited) So you are arguing the game is more popular than ever? You can't compare ratings with the days when you had 3 channels and a show could get literally 1/2 the households watching intently the whole time, watching the commercials in their entirety. Many department stores have closed or have seen less people in stores. Doesn't mean people dislike shopping more today. Edited October 18, 2017 by TheTruthHurts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunnerBill Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Many department stores have closed or have seen less people in stores. Doesn't mean people dislike shopping more today. It's fewer people, not less.... sorry personal pet hate.... but other than that I absolutely agree with your point and think you are right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heitz Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Blame the millennials Like the 100MM+ unique users per month that visit Twitch to watch others play video games https://expandedramblings.com/index.php/twitch-stats/#.Wedq1ROPJTY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mat68 Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Still #1 show on TV. Advertisers will continue dumping money into the #1 show. Not sure how they account for people that don't watch at home, but I haven't watched a Bills game at home in 3 years. I watch on NFL mobile on my phone. One of the reasons I have a huge 6" phone. I never miss a Bills game. Also can't remember the last time I watched anything through cable. I watch using apps. I pay for cable, but I just use my smart TV to access everything. I'm probably one of the few that still pays for cable but uses apps to access TV. Cable subscribers are dropping. TV ratings are dropping. It's not rocket science. I am the same. I dont have cable but overall the Thursday night and Monday night games have been poor match ups the last handful of year compared to the Sunday night games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PABillsfan23 Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 (edited) Bills deserved more than a meager TNF game against the Jets even if the pundits thought we would truly be hideous. No they didnt. They got what they deserved Edited October 18, 2017 by PABillsfan23 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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