NFL Week 7 Finals: Downward Trend Continues Unabated on TNF (down 17%)

sportsmediawatch ^ | By Paulsen on 10/21/2016

[11th_VA]

At the risk of getting repetitive, fewer viewers tuned into a primetime NFL game.

The Week 7 Bears/Packers Thursday Night Football game earned 14.2 million viewers on CBS and NFL Network Thursday night, down 17% from Seahawks/49ers last year (17.1M) and down 12% from Jets/Patriots in 2014 (16.1M). Ratings were not immediately available.

The Packers’ win earned the fourth-smallest audience for a Thursday Night Football simulcast on CBS (22 telecasts). Three of the five smallest audiences have come in the past three weeks, with 49ers/Cardinals in Week 4 ranking second (12.1M) and Broncos/Chargers in Week 5 fifth (14.5M).

The game was also the fifth of six TNF games this season to decline from last year, with each of those five hitting multi-year lows.

Despite the decline, TNF about doubled competing coverage of the MLB National League Championship Series on Fox Sports 1 (7.2M).

In adults 18-49, Bears/Packers had a 4.5 rating — down 24% from last year (5.9) and down 17% from 2014 (5.4M).

[GizzyGirl]

It was killing me last week not to watch, but this week it got much easier! By next weekend maybe I won’t even think about football and what I might be missing in the least!

[Skooz]

After over a dozen years with DirecTV’s NFL Sunday ticket, I pulled the plug three years ago. No DirecTV. I haven’t missed it a bit.

I listen to my Chiefs’ games on SiriusXM. Still a Chiefs fan after almost 50 years, but have no idea what else is going on in the rest of the NFL. This after having been a huge NFL fan since I was 9 years-old.

If the NFL would disappear entirely, it would be missed for a couple of weeks. After that, no one would even notice.

[cicero2k]

We watch sports to escape politics, not participate in it.

Get a clue NFL.

[conejo99]

“How can you call a 6-6 overtime tie boring....?”

By not caring who wins.

[mikefive]

Tonlyell us how you really feel, because I sense you’re blocking. You should open up more. LOL. Spot on response. The overpaid snow flakes and the NFL’s handeling if the $h!tbirds taking a knee are a major reason I’m not watching anymore.

[OrangeHoof]

The lack of fans at the Tampa Bay-San Francisco game yesterday was very noticeable. The stands were half-full at best. How much is Kaepernick and how much is just bad football cannot be determined but it’s rare to see an NFL game in the regular season this poorly attended.

Oh, Roger...

[Jeff Chandler]

It’s boring anyway.

OMGosh, did you see the Cards and the Seahags last night? The game went into overtime. Both teams scored in overtime. Final score?

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Wait for it . . .

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6-6

[dfwgator]

Any night game can be streamed. And a lot of people are choosing to view the games on their laptops instead of their TVs.

I know I rarely watch games on my TV anymore. I simply turn on the stream and listen and surf elsewhere then check in when something interesting happens.

The networks may need to re-evaluate streaming games over the Internet, because it’s definitely eating into the TV ratings.

FWIW, English Premier Soccer league ratings in Britain are down by about the same amount.

[vortec94]

Commercials! Almost impossible to watch a college game either. Tellageda race yesterday was constant commercials. Just too many commercials. If I’m really interested I DVR.

[dfwgator]

You’ve got these 300+ pound guys beating the snot out of each other for 3+ hours, just to have the game come down to some pip squeak kicker.

[Mad Dawgg]

"Commercials! Almost impossible to watch a college game either."

We cut the cord several years back but we still watch many TV shows just without commercials. The wife wanted NFL football so she got Season Pass which is ALL the NFL games available a few minutes after the game is over in DVR format. We are Browns fans and NFL Season Pass is a god send because there is an option to watch the game in condensed time which means they only show the game while a play is being run.

So what that means is instead of me and the Mrs sitting down to watch the Browns suck for 3.5 plus hours we only have to watch them suck for a little over 60 minutes.

[Molon Labbie]

Good! Get patriotic or get unemployed. FM.

[wastedyears]

I only watch hockey.

[MasterGunner01]

Attention NFL: DENIAL is NOT some river in Egypt. It is the 800 pound gorilla in the living room called Collin Kaepernick and is anti-American rants and actions. For him and other millionaire jockstraps to lecture the fans about their country is beyond stupid. The fans do NOT want to see their country disrespected by such trash talking, spoiled brat jockstraps like CK and friends. As long as the NFL dodges its responsibility to shut this nonsense down, the more audience they will hemorrhage. Maybe it will get so bad the NFL will go away from its own PC-based denial of the truth staring it in the face.

[Lent]

Yes. Stick it to those billionaire politically correct owners and their weak commissioner!