NFL numbers a way down this year

[CF DolFan]

The fact viewership is way down ... almost 20% in some markets ... there has been a lot talk about why. People are talking about flooded markets, more options etc. The one thing I haven't seen anyone speak about is people being annoyed with the disrespect of the National Anthem. this is a real thing. The first week many people said they would go away and yet it seems like no one wants to admit that for some people, american pride is more important than seeing some millionaires force their views down your throats by disrespecting the flag. ESPN Fayettville even canceled covering a game because of the ECU band's protest so it is affecting on viewership. Sponsors were complaining.   

What are your thoughts on 2016 being so much less than 2015? I mean ... options and economy are pretty much the same.

[fyo]

Interesting... Any particular markets stand out? And how does it compare to (recent) historical ratings?

No Manning, no Brady... Might that be an issue?

[CF DolFan]

Interesting... Any particular markets stand out? And how does it compare to (recent) historical ratings?

No Manning, no Brady... Might that be an issue?

Ratings were going up until last year. They are going down across the board this year for NFL games so Brady and Manning aren't the only thing affecting it.

One of the current parlor games playing out in sports media executive suites is why the NFL’s television ratings have dramatically fallen through the first four weeks of the season. Most notably, each of the league’s primetime showcases (Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football and Thursday Night Football) are down double-digit percentage drops in viewers. In a particularly troubling trend, ratings for Monday Night Football were down 19% prior to Monday’s Giants-Vikings game, including the lowest-ever viewership in the history of the series when just 8.047 million viewers watched the Saints-Falcons. (That game went head-to-head with the first Presidential debate.) The Giants-Vikings drew a 9.1 overnight rating on Monday, which was the highest MNF overnight of the year. That’s the good news. The bad news? It was still down 8% from the 9.9 for last year’s Week 4 matchup (Seahawks-Lions) that didn’t feature the New York market.

More troubling data: NBC’s Sunday Night Football drew an 11.0 overnight for Steelers-Chiefs on Sunday, down 26% from the same window last year with the Saints-Cowboys. That’s an alarming drop, even with Dallas as the NFL’s best television draw and a blowout game. (The NBC Sports p.r. department said in a release that the Steelers’ 22–0 first quarter was the most-lopsided opening quarter in 155 NBC SNF games. One can admire the rapid response team, but you can’t spin lemonade out of tomato juice.)

On Sunday, per Sports Business Daily, Fox led all Week 4 NFL broadcast windows with a 14.8 overnight rating thanks to the Cowboys-49ers, but that number was down 10% for the comparable Week 4 matchup last year.

http://www.si.com/tech-media/2016/10/04/nfl-ratings-presidential-election-donald-trump-hillary-clinton

[Spider-Dan]

The fact viewership is way down ... almost 20% in some markets ... there has been a lot talk about why. People are talking about flooded markets, more options etc. The one thing I haven't seen anyone speak about is people being annoyed with the disrespect of the National Anthem. this is a real thing.

Is the National Anthem even shown on broadcasts?  I can't recall seeing it outside of the Super Bowl.

How would people at home even know who is standing/kneeling for that game?

[Tenshot13]

Is the National Anthem even shown on broadcasts?  I can't recall seeing it outside of the Super Bowl.

How would people at home even know who is standing/kneeling for that game?

Because once the game starts, they show a clip of who was kneeling and usually talk about it for 5 minutes at least.

[Phishfan]

I've always taken TV ratings with a grain of salt. There is absolutely no way to know the number of people watching a game on TV. I haven't heard anyone say they are not watching games but I expect there are some casual NFL fans who may be put off enough by anthem protests that they are staying away.

[CF DolFan]

I've always taken TV ratings with a grain of salt. There is absolutely no way to know the number of people watching a game on TV. I haven't heard anyone say they are not watching games but I expect there are some casual NFL fans who may be put off enough by anthem protests that they are staying away.

season ticket holders of the Dolphins wrote them and told them they were renewing unless Ross stopped it. I realize no on this board cares but many people in this country have great respect for it, the flag and the national anthem.

[Phishfan]

season ticket holders of the Dolphins wrote them and told them they were renewing unless Ross stopped it. I realize no on this board cares but many people in this country have great respect for it, the flag and the national anthem.

Given the attendance numbers in the past, I expect many Dolphins season ticket holders are just casual fans. 

[Sunstroke]

I don't know about TV viewership in specific markets, but it seems like football is more popular than ever with the group I hang with.

As far as the national anthem goes, I would say that anyone who protests Kaepernick's public protest by privately not watching games...is even lamer than Kaep.

[fyo]

The Patriots' opener against the Cardinals had the second highest ratings in franchise history. And the Patriots' blowout of the Texans Thursday night drew a bigger audience than the corresponding TNF game last year.

So apparently Patriots fans don't give a crap about the anthem or the flag, right?

[Tenshot13]

The Patriots' opener against the Cardinals had the second highest ratings in franchise history. And the Patriots' blowout of the Texans Thursday night drew a bigger audience than the corresponding TNF game last year.

So apparently Patriots fans don't give a crap about the anthem or the flag, right?

Kind of ironic, huh?

[Dave Gray]

I'm less interested than I've been in some years, but I thought it was just because I've gotten smarter.

[Spider-Dan]

season ticket holders of the Dolphins wrote them and told them they were renewing unless Ross stopped it. I realize no on this board cares but many people in this country have great respect for it, the flag and the national anthem.

However, many of these same people are perfectly fine with celebrating the flag of traitors who attempted to overthrow our democratically-elected government and remove states from the jurisdiction of the United States Constitution.  Because patriotism.

Give me a break with this solemn patriots BS.  The people who are crying about disrespecting the flag right now are the same people who love to talk about how the Second Amendment makes sure that if you lose at the ballot box, you always have the bullet box.

If players were taking a knee to protest the lack of action against killing of police officers, you would clap so hard you would break your hands.  Stop trying to pretend this isn't entirely about the subject being protested; a grievance you (plural) think is fundamentally baseless in the first place.

[Baba Booey]

Numbers being down and being bad are two different things. The numbers are down but still the best numbers in all of sports (and TV) by a mile.

It has nothing to do with the national anthem protest either.

[masterfins]

season ticket holders of the Dolphins wrote them and told them they were renewing unless Ross stopped it. I realize no on this board cares but many people in this country have great respect for it, the flag and the national anthem.

I don't doubt that the people care about the players showing respecting for the flag and anthem.  But I don't think many (if any) would give up their tickets over this practice by a handful of players.  I put this in the same category as Rosie O'Doughnuts saying she is going to leave the country if Trump is elected.