October 7, 201610 yr Anthem protest, concussions, oversaturation, cord cutters? TV networks are giving away more commercial time this NFL season than a year ago to make up for one of the worst ratings declines in a decade, a rare sign of weakness for the biggest draw on television. In September, as the presidential election diverted viewers to cable news outlets, viewership of the NFL’s prime-time games dropped 14 percent from a year earlier among the coveted 18-to-49-year-old demographic, according to a Bloomberg Intelligence analysis of Nielsen data. Ratings for CBS’s Thursday night games fell 15 percent, NBC’s Sunday night games slid 12 percent and ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” plunged 16 percent. When TV networks sell commercials, they guarantee advertisers a certain number of viewers. If they don’t fulfill their promises, they must offer free commercial time elsewhere to make up for it, potentially missing out on revenue from selling those ad spots instead. So far this NFL season, TV networks have missed their estimates by about 20 percent, requiring them to offer advertisers what the industry calls “make-goods,” according to one ad buyer who asked not to be identified discussing private information. Fewer NFL Viewers Force TV Networks to Give Away Ads - Bloomberg
October 7, 201610 yr I've never been a big watcher of the NFL anyway, unless the Steelers are playing. Add in the fact that you can't hit anybody on defense, the games last 4 hours and the Redzone channel is an option, I could see how it may be down. I honestly don't think the protests have much if anything to do with it.
October 7, 201610 yr It's been building for a while. I haven't watched non-Vikings NFL games regularly in years. And if the Vikings aren't on a channel I get at home, I don't really seek them out.
October 7, 201610 yr It's been building for a while. I haven't watched non-Vikings NFL games regularly in years. And if the Vikings aren't on a channel I get at home, I don't really seek them out. Same.
October 7, 201610 yr Lack of intriguing match ups on prime time for me. I really could care less about seeing a bad Bears team play on prime time.
October 7, 201610 yr Author On Sundays I watch the Red Zone channel exclusively, even when they Bengal are on.
October 7, 201610 yr Lack of intriguing match ups on prime time for me. I really could care less about seeing a bad Bears team play on prime time. That too. I get that they set the matchups before the season starts, but if two terrible teams are playing in prime time, the ratings aren't going to be good.
October 7, 201610 yr Lack of intriguing match ups on prime time for me. I really could care less about seeing a bad Bears team play on prime time. Thursday night football is an instant "ignore" for me. I watched the Hilltoppers last night.
October 7, 201610 yr Just like NASCAR...eventually the growth stops and you see a slide. It was bound to happen and there are probably 6-8 factors that play a part, some mentioned here.
October 7, 201610 yr The balance they try to get of giving every team a primetime game has created a bunch of bad matchups no one wants to watch. I didn't watch a minute of last nights game. Big games, between two good teams will still draw good ratings. But with 3 prime time games a week, you're bound to get more than a few clunkers that will drive ratings down. And like everyone else has said, when my team isn't on, I'm watching Redzone.
October 7, 201610 yr Thursday night football is an instant "ignore" for me. I watched the Hilltoppers last night. I think that might be part of the problem. Oversaturation.
October 7, 201610 yr The product isn't the best either. For the most part it seems as if you're watching the same game from 1:00 until 11:30.
October 7, 201610 yr I like watching football on Saturday (college) and Sunday...thats it. I don't really have the time or desire to watch football on Mondays and Thursdays....unless the Browns play...and that is a rarity.
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