“The NFL is discovering that upwards of 20% of its fan base has left, and it wonders if it can ever get them back”
It takes awhile for such a huge ship to turn. So, it may be next season when we see what happens with ticket sales and advertiser rates, etc. if these revenue streams are down significantly then eventually it will be reflected in reduced player contracts. That’s when the light bulb will come on for the idiots. Maybe, sarc/
I believe that this week the contract talks for advertising in 2018 starts. As it stands right now, 20% of expected revenues from advertising will be the high mark for the NFL. Then how will season ticket sales drop because of those who will not renew their annual contracts that were already bought and paid for before this season started?
I suspect that all serious advertisers will be delaying any final contracts until the number of renewals is starting to trend, just as the TV rating will also continue to fall will delay any advertisers from making any deal early, if at all..
I think the three key points to watch are: (1) rates for the Super Bowl commercials, (2) contract offers to the draft picks in 2018, and (3) returns/profit seen from the merchandising of NFL products (usually Xmas would be a big profit period).
If all three go negative, then I would expect contract offers for spring/summer to decrease and players going negative about the stagnant pay scale. It’s their own fault, and some folks will have to figure out a 25-percent pay cut off this deal.
20% THAT IS NOT ENOUGH! BRING THEM DOWN.
President Trump says ‘Stand for the Flag’ in Weekly Address
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/timothymeads/2017/10/15/icymi-president-trump-says-stand-for-the-flag-in-weekly-address-n2395489?utm_source=thdaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl&newsletterad=
Good luck with any contract negotiations players, as the market will be softening...