Posted on 09/11/2020 9:00:16 AM PDT by EdnaMode
With the coronavirus pandemic still raging across America, this year’s NFL season opener was as different as night and day in many ways from the 100th season kickoff in 2019.
For one thing, as reigning Super Bowl champs the Kansas City Chiefs pummeled the Houston Texans 34-20, the ratings were down – a lot.
In early numbers, the primetime NBC game scored a 5.2 among adults 18-49 and 16.4 million viewers between 8 – 11 PM ET.
Now, those numbers for the 8:25 – 11:30 PM ET game itself will certainly be adjusted upward later, but right now that’s a 16.1% drop over the spectacle of the September 5, 2019 season opener among the advertiser rich demographic. In an America and a NFL still adjusting to the new normal of live sports in the era of COVID-19, last night’s Kansas City victory also fell 16.1% in total sets of eyeballs from last year’s fast affiliate results – but remember, those numbers will change in one form or another later today.
Having said that, right now, the TV viewership results for the game in front of 17,000 socially distanced fans at KC’s more than 76,000 capacity Arrowhead Stadium is looking like a 10-year low for the NFL and NBC.
(Excerpt) Read more at deadline.com ...
Yep Who is a smart person.
I tuned in after the game had already started, but even then it was all politics, politics, politics. I turned it off.
I don’t rightly know - is the 5.2% the percentage of viewers who watched any part of the game or the average percentage of viewers for the whole 3 hours?
“In an America and a NFL still adjusting to the new normal of live sports in the era of COVID-19, last night’s Kansas City victory also fell 16.1% in total sets of eyeballs from last year’s fast affiliate results...”
You can’t blame this on COVID. Logically, the TV ratings should be UP—as in going through the roof.
Streaming services (like Hulu) are hitting record numbers. Why? Because people are stuck inside with nothing else to do but watch TV.
How can the NFL’s TV viewership be down, unless people are deliberately tuning out the NFL.
Not only is NFL viewership down 16%, they are missing out on the huge “corona stay at home” bump that every other TV service is getting. Meaning, the actual number of people turning off the NFL is more than 16%.
The virtue signalling will not end after week 2...the NFL is too invested now.
They are all in.
Not to mention the insufferable commercials you will have to endure if you watch.
#boycott
The NFL has an age problem The kids aint payin attention like they used to.
In reading it it looks like they measure number of unique viewers not how long they watched.
That 5.2 is the preliminary average for the 3 hour time period. However football ratings normally adjust up in the final ratings.
NFL = POS.
I'd suggest next week they should have the players unite in an effort to spread healing and take turns stomping and spitting on a dirty American flag laying on the field. If viewership continues to decline, they should try lighting it on fire.
The Cowboys remained a huge draw because they didn’t allow the anthem protests from their team. You really think their fan base is going to approve of the changes to that? That’s a hell of a gamble by the Jones family. Guess we’ll find out Sunday night.
The NFL is playing now? Who knew?!
************
Who cares?
I’m hoping for Bane to show up at a game and blow up the field...
They better figure it out pretty soon or they will be losing Big Bucks.
Most of the players are privileged ingrates. They will drop this social justice crap the moment their paycheck drops and their lavish lifestyles are threatened.
Last year’s opener was a low scoring snooze fest, but it was close. I guess we will see how it is going forward.
Down 16% from 2019? That was when people were already pissed off about the kneelers.
Take it back to a season opener from 2016 or so for a real snapshot.
>>In an America and a NFL still adjusting to the new normal of live sports in the era of COVID-19, last night’s Kansas City victory also fell 16.1% in total sets of eyeballs from last year’s fast affiliate results – but remember, those numbers will change in one form or another later today.<<
No, it is the era of wokeness, soon to be known as the era that ended pro sports in America.
By definition, MORE people are watching TV post-COVID. Thus TV viewership should have gone UP.
No one is buying this “COVID killed the TV sports star” crap (would make a good song, eh?).
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