Posted on 09/24/2017 9:52:05 AM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
After the first two weeks of the NFL season, theres a clear storyline that has emerged:
Think pieces about the NFLs quality of play are en vogue.
From The Ringers Kevin Clark to Bill Barnwell of ESPN to that old NFL bibleThe Weekly Standardthis week saw a ton of NFL observers examine the leagues quality of play as well as the perception behind that. The headline of Clarks piece didnt hold back: How Football Stopped Being Fun.
How does that correlate with NFL ratings, which is more the focus of this column? Well, that depends on how you want to interpret the numbers. The invaluable Sports Media Watch reported that nine of the 13 NFL windows through Week 2 have posted a decrease this season year over year. On a positive note for the league: The Giants-Lions on Monday night game did trend up. It drew 12.3 million viewers, up 1% in viewership from Eagles-Bears last year (12.1 million). But as Sports Media Watch noted, the game was down from the 12.5 million who watched Jets-Colts on MNF in Week Two of the 2015 season.
CBS has suffered early. Per Anthony Crupi of Ad Age, through the first two weeks of the season, CBS's Sunday NFL windows had averaged 13.9 million viewers, down 10% versus 15.2 million last year. Sports Media Watch said CBSs 8.4 rating for its Week 2 single header lineup was the lowest for a Week 2 single-header since at least 1998.
NBC had a particularly ugly night with the Packers-Falcons. The game drew 20.2 million, well down from last years Week 2 game (Packers-Vikings, 22.8 million) and the Seahawks-Packers in 2015 (26.4 million). It was the least-watched Week 2 Sunday Night Football game since 2008. Crupi reported NBCs three primetime games so far had averaged 22.1 million viewers, down 7% from 2016.
Fox was aided by a massive number for the Cowboys-Broncos game26 million viewersthanks to a lightning delay that took the games conclusion past 8:00 pm. ET. But that number was down from 2015 when the Cowboys-Eagles in the national window drew much higher. Crupi reported that Foxs two national windows in 2017 have averaged 24.4 million viewers, down 3% versus 25.1 million for its first two national windows of 2016.
The most positive NFL ratings story so far comes from, of all places, the NFL Network. The networks opening broadcast (Texans-Bengals) was up 2% in viewership. This vital chart from Sports Media Watch spells it all out.
The league can rightfully point to potential factors for decreases, including Hurricane Irma impacting vital markets. Theres also this stat I saw in Barnwells column: Through the first 30 games of the 2017 season, the average contest had been decided by 12.9 points. The quality of gamesand quarterback playhas been far higher in previous years.
Is it early too make larger judgments? It is, especially given some of the external factors (e.g. Irma). But the NFL is likely a little concerned. I think you can make some legitimate ratings assessments by Week Four. It's early yet, Crupi said. No need to snort a Xanax.
NFL and sports TV executives are hoping hes right.
Haha!! Shouldn’t be hard to turn that one around.
That could happen. It would be followed in very short order by patriotic fans singing the anthem en masse loudly and fervently just before a game starts, much as the wave used to be generated. Those who refuse to join in can enjoy the contumely of those sitting next to them.
Yeah, 15 years ago it was real easy to say, “What?!?! The NFL is rock solid, that Limbaugh guy is crazy!” Think he’s still crazy? Haha!
I've bloviated about it on other threads. I personally don't think it will work, but that's the long game TPTB/NFL are trying, for the reasons you point out: Class action lawsuits, which actually I haven't taken into account so much as my personal belief that most American families aren't going to continue letting their sons play football.
The NFL is screwed, and I don't care. Let them go get real jobs.
By extension, the game of football is in jeopardy too at all levels... I see it being relegated to about the same level of interest as MMA, etc.
1. Tge “NFL” didn’t start the protests. A loser player did.
So I don’t know if the NFL is that clever.
2.Even if, you and I know -—the SJWs will never stop. You can’t buy them off
Will a jury buy it?
Or will they be generous with the NFL's insurance company's money?
Big Tobacco not only hired the best lawyers money could buy, they owned entire legislatures.
100%
Nope. Entropy is very persistent.
Only millions of individuals can decide to turn away.
As RWR said:
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didnt pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free."
I am waiting for a study using anonymous brains from similar age and and active lifestyles. I distrust the study citing 111 out of 112 ex football players having concussion syndrome..or whatever they ware calling it now. This has always had a political ring to my ears. The goal has always been to destroy America. They want to take away ALL things that make us great and unique. Was it not Winston Churchill who said “the Second World War was won on the playgrounds of America”.
How tonight's game was fixed for the Redskins. #HTTR!
Kenny Stabler or Joe Namath would NEVER have kneeled during the National Anthem.
Actually the quote was 'The battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton,' and is attributed to the 1st Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley.
Very good questions. They think they’ve done what they had to do but they could be very wrong. And it’s true, the tobacco industry had very best expensive lawyers around and plenty of money to pay them.
If they do that...I’m still staying away. Not one cent, not one minute.
Yep the leftists ie..globalists have ruined everything for average Americans by making it a vehicle for their leftist bullsh#t. And as usual the leftist reactionary children throw “outrage” fits if someone dare fight back against it.
The latest is that the Steelers kept everybody in the locker room during the National Anthem. Good news, it hastens the demise of the NFL.
And, oh by the way, the Steelers lost.
Rush was way ahead of everyone else in his critical opinion of the has been NFL. Watching football used to be a very great,entertaining way of life,key words used to be.
Karma came early on this one.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.