NFL ratings, Week 4: The slide continues

[VaBeach_Eagle]

 

NFL ratings, Week 4: The slide continues

 

 

Quote

 

Jay Busbee

Tue, October 6, 2020, 4:38 PM EDT·3 mins read

Here’s the fun thing about the NFL’s suddenly wobbly television ratings: they can say whatever you want them to.

Believe the NFL’s newfound activism has turned the country against it? Sure, that might be true.

Wondering whether anyone can focus on football with (waving hands wildly) all this going on? Hey, that’s valid too.

Think that maybe people want to get outside these past few weekends of warm weather? That’s entirely a possibility.

Disenchanted with matchups of winless teams? You are most definitely not alone.

Here’s what is indisputable: ratings for the NFL are down, in some cases to an ugly degree.

 

Why? Well, that’s a trickier question, one we can’t answer with certainty until we’re past this election and the COVID-19 pandemic. For now, here’s your Week 4 update. Television executives may wish to avert your eyes:

Thursday Night Football (NFL Network) was down an astounding 70 percent from last year, but that comes with a huge caveat: last year’s game aired on NFL Network and Fox. Broadcast TV always jacks up ratings, and it’ll do the same thing when TNF returns to Fox later this season.

Still: only 5.41 million watched the Denver Broncos and the New York Jets play last Thursday. (If you’re not a fan of either of those teams, or if you don’t have money riding on the outcome ... why would you?)

Sunday Night Football (NBC) took a steep dive, falling 37 percent in viewership from last year. The matchup was substandard — a winless Philadelphia versus an injury-ravaged San Francisco — even if the game ended up being fairly decent. If there’s a worrying sign for the NFL, it’s Sunday night.

The CBS doubleheader also saw sharp declines due in large part to the shifting of Patriots-Chiefs to Monday night. A primo matchup vanished from the slate, and that sent the early game (primarily Chargers-Bucs) tumbling 32 percent to 9.95 million viewers, and the late game (Buffalo-Las Vegas) down 6 percent to 18.61 million viewers.

Fox’s singleheader, which comprised Cleveland-Dallas or Giants-Rams for the majority of the country, was the lone bright spot of the week, ticking up 2 percent to 16.85 million viewers.

 

Monday night had the distinction of having two separate games running somewhat concurrently. Chiefs-Patriots drew 14.60 million viewers, more than the 14.02 million who’d watched last Monday’s Chiefs-Ravens game. (Again, a caveat: broadcast vs. cable.) On the other hand, the partially-cannibalized, partially-terrible Falcons-Packers game drew 8.65 million viewers, down 17 percent from last year.

It’s worth noting that the NFL continues to win days in which it airs. The league still has the largest slice of a smaller pie. But it’s also clear that many of the people who once watched the league are, for whatever reason, finding something else to do with their Sundays.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/nfl-ratings-week-4-the-slide-continues-203827189.html

 

 

[Mike030270]

I thought I saw someone posting an article how the there was a record of viewers

I wish they'd stop with the commercials after everything though. That's become annoying. We used to see a breakdown of a challenge or penalty but now it's go to commercial and we rarely even come back in time for the refs to announce it. Usually the broadcasters are giving us the results while the next play happens. I hate it.

[paco]

Now that the NBA is wrapped up, im curious to see if there is an uptick

[Captain F]

Its the culmination of all of the reasons he stated. Even if each one is only responsible for a small part, they add up to something significant. 

Believe the NFL’s newfound activism has turned the country against it? Sure, that might be true.

Wondering whether anyone can focus on football with (waving hands wildly) all this going on? Hey, that’s valid too.

Think that maybe people want to get outside these past few weekends of warm weather? That’s entirely a possibility.

Disenchanted with matchups of winless teams? You are most definitely not alone

[Mike030270]

There's way too many commercials. An insane amount. We don't even get to see challenges anymore

[birdman#12]

The kneeling nonsense, the anthem protests, the outspoken players criticizing other opinions, the pandering to BLM, the political bullsh-- and too many commercials.......combine that with the idiotic changes to the game under the ridiculous guise of "protecting the players".  The shortened kickoff has reduced one of the most exciting times in a game to watching the ball bounce out of the end zone.

The over protection of the QB and WRs, the vague rules and the terrible refereeing.....the list goes on........Many fans are tired of politicizing the game and all the "social justice" bullsh-- and the lousy attempt to "make the game safer" because of social pressure.  Changing the game rarely works.  

Is there ever a big play where everybody isn't looking for a flag first?  

I've watched eagles games only after the kickoff is done.  I haven't watched any other game, and I won't until, maybe, the playoffs.  

I think the NFL should be an entertainment venue that we all can enjoy for 3 hours without dragging societies problems into the spotlight....for 3 hours I don't give a f----, I just want to enjoy football.  I don't want to see or hear the bullsh-- that has infected the event.

So, it doesn't surprise me that numbers are down.....but I suspect they'll creep up as the season rolls on.

[McNabbIsDone]

On 10/12/2020 at 9:02 PM, Mike030270 said:

I wish they'd stop with the commercials after everything though. That's become annoying. We used to see a breakdown of a challenge or penalty but now it's go to commercial and we rarely even come back in time for the refs to announce it. Usually the broadcasters are giving us the results while the next play happens. I hate it.

Agree with all of that . . . and this dovetails nicely with the notion that The League is just off the charts  GREEDY.

                         Rich beyond 'Dreams Of Avarice' comes to mind . . . how much is enough ??

[McNabbIsDone]

On 10/15/2020 at 1:52 PM, birdman#12 said:

The kneeling nonsense, the anthem protests, the outspoken players criticizing other opinions, the pandering to BLM, the political bullsh-- and too many commercials.......combine that with the idiotic changes to the game under the ridiculous guise of "protecting the players".  The shortened kickoff has reduced one of the most exciting times in a game to watching the ball bounce out of the end zone.

The over protection of the QB and WRs, the vague rules and the terrible refereeing.....the list goes on........Many fans are tired of politicizing the game and all the "social justice" bullsh-- and the lousy attempt to "make the game safer" because of social pressure.  Changing the game rarely works.  

Is there ever a big play where everybody isn't looking for a flag first?  

I've watched eagles games only after the kickoff is done.  I haven't watched any other game, and I won't until, maybe, the playoffs.  

I think the NFL should be an entertainment venue that we all can enjoy for 3 hours without dragging societies problems into the spotlight....for 3 hours I don't give a f----, I just want to enjoy football.  I don't want to see or hear the bullsh-- that has infected the event.

All valid observations & concerns.

I can tell you with absolute certainty that there's many older fans who refuse to participate in anything the NFL has to offer simply b/c of the kneeling nonsense and everything that goes with it. Now maybe the NFL doesn't care about that b/c older fans aren't in their 'Target Demographic' but as  'What The F'  noted these things have a way of adding up with other things and having a cumulative effect.

I, too, have stopped watching the intros to games b/c I no longer care to see any of it.  I also mute the sound on the excessive number of commercials or I'll switch to another game for a few mins. It's amazing how often I'll do this only to find myself in the middle of the other games' commercial break as well !    

[FranklinFldEBUpper]

11 hours ago, McNabbIsDone said:

It's amazing how often I'll do this only to find myself in the middle of the other games' commercial break as well !    

Yup. It's infuriating as hell and seems to happen about half the time.

[pisceschica]

I didn’t read the article but was anything mentioned about people using streaming services?

[McNabbIsDone]

On 10/15/2020 at 1:52 PM, birdman#12 said:

The kneeling nonsense, the anthem protests, the outspoken players criticizing other opinions, the pandering to BLM, the political bullsh-- and too many commercials.......combine that with the idiotic changes to the game under the ridiculous guise of "protecting the players".   

Speaking of nonsense:

https://www.49ers.com/video/49ers-pride-celebrates-national-coming-out-day