NFL Excuses Run Out After Ratings Declines Continue

[Eleazar]

NFL's Litany of Excuses Runs Out After Ratings Fall for Second Year

By Lucas Shaw
Bloomberg.com
November 2, 2017, 11:30 AM CDT



TV networks are running out of excuses for the dwindling popularity of the National Football League.

They blamed the election for ratings declines last year, and hurricanes for a soft week one in September. Protests during the national anthem, and President Donald Trump’s criticism of the league, have faded from the headlines.

Advertisers are starting to believe a different explanation: the viewers aren’t coming back. Audiences are down an average 7 percent from a year ago through the first eight weeks of the season, excluding last Monday. That’s on top of a decrease of about 8 percent last season that spurred numerous changes in the broadcasts, from shorter commercials to better matchups earlier in the year.

“There’s just not as many people watching TV the way they used to watch TV,” said Jeremy Carey, managing director of Optimum Sports, a sports marketing agency. “It’s going to be an issue for advertisers when they can’t reach a large-scale audience the way they have.”

With CBS Corp., 21st Century Fox Inc. and Walt Disney Co. set to report earnings in the next few days, analysts are bound to raise questions. These companies have used the popularity of the games to extract additional fees from cable operators, promote other shows on their networks and sell lots of commercials. Pro football games drew about $3.5 billion in ad spending last year, including the postseason, according to SMI Media Inc.

Media companies have spent billions of dollars on the right to air football games, which had been immune to the erosion of viewership for other TV programming. Audiences for TV networks have diminished for years as the growing popularity of online alternatives Netflix and YouTube and the availability of most shows on-demand have reduced the appeal of dramas and comedies. Live TV, like sports, was supposed to be immune, but that theory looks highly questionable now.

Ratings for the NFL suggest the same societal trends are now affecting the league, even if the declines aren’t as dramatic. The drop in game viewership ranges from 5 percent for NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” to 11 percent for the CBS Sunday package. “Monday Night Football,” on Disney’s ESPN, has attracted more fans this year than a year ago, but the numbers are still down from 2015.

Viewership of the four main broadcast networks fell 8.7 percent last year, and 12 percent among adults 18 to 49, an important demographic for advertisers.

CBS’s 11 percent slump for NFL games is the steepest of the networks. Its parent company, which reports earnings after the close Thursday, is more vulnerable than rivals to the trend because the vast majority of its earnings come from the broadcast network. The declines at CBS reinforce a complaint that has gotten louder and louder in recent weeks: The league got greedy in adding the Thursday night game on broadcast.

Reserving top games for Thursday night robbed other time periods of good match-ups. After a nosedive in ratings at “Monday Night Football” last season, the league has scheduled better games for that time period, further damaging Sunday afternoon.

“Ratings declines on both general entertainment and NFL programming could be the single biggest point of focus for investors this quarter, and we’re not sure what media companies can say about the health and tone of the ad market to assuage fears,” Steven Cahall, an analyst with RBC Capital Markets, wrote in a note last month.

Viewership is dropping fast among people under 54 -- a key demographic for advertisers -- and even faster among those 18 to 34. Audiences for games on CBS, NBC and Fox have slid at least 10 percent among that younger cohort.

Advertisers aren’t abandoning the NFL, one of the only places they can still reach more than 10 million people at once. But they are growing concerned. John Schnatter, who appears in TV spots on behalf of his Papa John’s Pizza International Inc., laid into the league on a conference call this week, blaming the ratings for his company’s slow revenue growth and calling for the league to put an end to player protests.

Networks and other advertisers identify a wide range of reasons for the NFL’s struggles. The league has overexposed itself by making highlights available on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Snapchat. Identifiable stars like Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers have either retired or gotten hurt. The quality of play has deteriorated. Player protests and concussions have driven away some fans.

Some executives argue viewership of the league has still improved over the long term while dropping for every other show. Yet the amount of time people have spent watching football this season is at the lowest point since 2011, back when there were fewer televised games, according to Mike Mulvihill, Fox Sports’ head of research.

“The cumulative effect of everything happening in the world at large is having an impact on NFL viewership,” Mulvihill said. “ The league was defying the laws of gravity.”

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Vincent Kennedy Goodell helped cook up a few to help...

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by Pasta Giant Meatball

Vincent Kennedy Goodell helped cook up a few to help...

He was telling Millie he'd make sure the Vikings won.

[jjjayb]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Ratings are fact. They cannot be disputed by opinion.

Again, if the NFL Ratings were flat while the rest of the Broadcast Network's ratings were even or higher, then there would be evidence that the NFL's popularity is waning.

ESPN's Monday Night Football ratings were up 5% over last year.

Again, there is zero verifiable proof that the NFL is experiencing anything different than any other program on Broadcast TV (and while ESPN subscribers are down by more than 8 million, ratings were up).

The NFL had 37 of the Top 50 rated programs last Fall.

The NFL is King.



That's exactly what $60 dollar playoff tickets "say".

It's the same here in Los Angeles. While the Coliseum is a complete and utter uncomfortable dump with zero restaurants, no club level and shit for parking, I can go on Stub Hub right now and purchase tickets in the upper deck (which are awful) for $76 dollars plus tax.

Why would I do that, though?

I have a better view at home. 65" 4K LED TV, sound system with subwoofer and a bar just a few feet away.

Why would I want to go to the actual game?

How were the NFL's ratings compared to everyone else 2 years ago? Where they flat while everyone else was declining too or where they growing while everyone else was declining?

[Reerun_KC]

I watched or had on the tv every game but the patriots game. Wasn’t interested in that shit show.

[Over Yonder]

Originally Posted by WilliamTheIrish

Wonder what viewership was like this weekend?

One more TV than was viewing the rest of the year, I know that. Was flipping through channels and it landed on the Pitt/Jax game and I left it on. It was the first non Chiefs game I have watched all year. It was weird watching Jacksonville actually being productive

But the last 2 teams I give any kinda crap about lost today, so I'm likely done watching till the super bowl. Love those super bowl commercials

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by Servant_KC

I watched or had on the tv every game but the patriots game. Wasn’t interested in that shit show.

Actually the Pats game was the only one I watched. Now I'm busy with Hockey this time of year, but today, after replacing the handle on the truck (), I went to see a movie in the newly renovated "recliner" theater instead of watch football.

[Reerun_KC]

Originally Posted by GloryDayz

Actually the Pats game was the only one I watched. Now I'm busy with Hockey this time of year, but today, after replacing the handle on the truck (), I went to see a movie in the newly renovated "recliner" theater instead of watch football.

Not bad. We had family over this weekend. 10 people in the house. We spent yesterday playing games and eating. Today cleaning back up.

So game we’re just background noise most of the weekend.

[Al Bundy]

NFL is still the most popular sport in the land.

[BigRedChief]

Is this thread about that BS flag/trump/peters stuff?

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by Servant_KC

Not bad. We had family over this weekend. 10 people in the house. We spent yesterday playing games and eating. Today cleaning back up.

So game we’re just background noise most of the weekend.

February 13th pitchers and catchers report. For me there's lots of hockey to help distract from The Clarks Clarking (again).

[Bugeater]

I watched the last half of the 4th qtr of the Vikes game and that's it.

[Rasputin]

Fans don't want what the NFL thinks fans want.

Case in point Stevie Asshole Smith on ESPN crying he wants wanted Brady or Big Ben vs Drew Brees rather than Bortles or Keenum or Foles. **** that shit fans are sick of shit forced down our throats like that. We want new blood in the big games.

[Couch-Potato]

Seems like a few things to me...

1) Concussions. More scrutiny on head injuries has lead to less interest from parents in allowing their children to play football, and likely watch football. The additional safety measures taken now during the game, and rule changes to protect the offense, have lead to a less violent league further reducing viewers who tuned in for controlled violence.

2) Advertising in the NFL has reached its ceiling. You simply can't take anymore commercial breaks or stuff anymore possible advertising into the games, they're filled to the brim. Growth will not continue at traditional rates any further.

[notorious]

I watched one game this weekend, Minn vs. NO. I didn’t miss it at all, which should scare the NFL. Officiating is my main reason.


I simply want games to be called like the Super Bowl every time. They let the players play instead of swaying the game with a million flags.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by KC Tattoo

Fans don't want what the NFL thinks fans want.

Case in point Stevie Asshole Smith on ESPN crying he wants wanted Brady or Big Ben vs Drew Brees rather than Bortles or Keenum or Foles. **** that shit fans are sick of shit forced down our throats like that. We want new blood in the big games.

Look at any decision the NFL has made over the last 10 years. Almost every one of them has put money over the fan experience.

Overpriced tickets, parking, concessions, merchandise
One of the only sports leagues left that doesn't offer full streaming
Constantly jamming teams with mega fan bases down our throat
The commissioner in bed with owners of those teams
Allowing greed to steal teams from the cities that love them

And these lunatics extended the contract of the captain of this sinking ship another 5 years. Until the NFL changes their mentality from running this like a business to running this like an entertainment industry, the NFL will continue to lose fan interest.