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.”

[Sandy Vagina]

Originally Posted by GloryDayz

Quality post. I'd add that the shear favoritism towards the offense and more scoring have some of us even more turned-off.

I definitely fall into this category, as do the few remaining friends I have. I love to watch strong, competent defense, and have zero boredom over a 17-14 final score.

Other than KC and occasional primetime games, I might DVR a game or two that I want to watch.. just so I can zip through the hours of commercials or other long game delays. There's no excuse for needing 5 minutes to determine a play challenge... and life's too short to always spend 3.5 hours just to watch 1 game.

I expected officiating to get easier and better. It went the other way.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

So what will Dane say now?

I will say that first off, who the **** is Austin Carp?

Secondly, even a casual observer like yourself should understand the correlation between Media Markets and Ratings.

Unlike previous years, the #1, #3, #5, #6, #7 and #8 markets in New York (Giants, Jets), Chicago, Dallas, San Fran-Oakland-San Jose (Raiders, 49ers), Washington DC and Houston had zero teams in the Wild Card Round and zero teams in the Divisional Round.

Instead, we see markets like Charlotte (#22), Pittsburgh (#23) Nashville (#29), Kansas City (#33), Jacksonville (#47), New Orleans (#50), Buffalo (#53). While Green Bay is the #68 media market, they have a large, nationwide audience due to their history (and Aaron Rodgers).

Last year, Green Bay at Dallas provided the largest ratings ever for a Divisional Game with a peak of 62.4 million viewers. This year, the Saints-Vikings game had a peak of 46.1 million viewers.

Not counting the Olympics, Saints-Vikings outdrew all-but-one non-NFL sporting event in the past 17 years - Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, which drew 40.1 million viewers.

The NFL is still King.

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

I will say that first off, who the **** is Austin Carp?

Sports Business Journal. Very reputable magazine in the sports business industry. Company owns the Sporting News, Street & Smiths, and all of the city business journals across the company.

[DaNewGuy]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Sports Business Journal. Very reputable magazine in the sports business industry. Company owns the Sporting News, Street & Smiths, and all of the city business journals across the company.

That guy isn't even fit to shine Dane's cheapest fender

[notorious]

Originally Posted by cosmo20002

Last four years average total penalties per regular season game is about 14.2.
Last four Super Bowls, penalties have been (13, 18, 12, 15) 14.5 average

Do you watch the games? It’s obvious you don’t.

[cosmo20002]

Originally Posted by notorious

Do you watch the games? It’s obvious you don’t.

Of course I do. But can't really argue with the stats, and they show that penalties are not up much. Going back 10 years or so, it's like 1 extra penalty per game.

[WilliamTheIrish]

Originally Posted by cosmo20002

Of course I do. But can't really argue with the stats, and they show that penalties are not up much. Going back 10 years or so, it's like 1 extra penalty per game.

"But it's rigged"/Forevertriggerred

[Eleazar]

http://deadline.com/2018/02/super-bo...bc-1202278181/


Super Bowl Ratings Slip To 8-Year Low As Eagles Score Historic Win


As emotional as NBC’s This Is Us was last night, it couldn’t lay a historical glove on the relentless drama of Super Bowl LII, as the Philadelphia Eagles beat the skeptics and the New England Patriots to win their first Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Scoring a 41-33 victory over odds-on favorite Tom Brady and crew, the City of Brotherly Love’s win Sunday also prevented the defending champion Patriots from claiming a sixth Super Bowl to match the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most wins ever.

However, for the NFL and broadcasters pummeled with double-digit ratings drops this season, the number that really matters right now is the 47.4/70 in metered market ratings that yesterday’s Super Bowl delivered. Dipping by a slight 3% from the earliest numbers of last year’s Patriots’ 34-28 comeback victory over the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday’s game is looking to be the sixth highest-rated Super Bowl ever. With more streaming options than ever this year, last night’s game is up 9% in metered market results compared with when the Patriots and Eagles last clashed in the NFL title game, at Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005.

However, Sunday’s Super Bowl also saw a decline of 5% in metered market results from the last time NBC had the big game on February 1, 2015, when the Patriots faced off against then-champs the Seattle Seahawks. Overall, last night’s game peaked in the high-stakes fourth quarter with a 52.2/74.

All in all, Super Bowl LII is currently the lowest rated since Super Bowl XLIV in 2010, when the New Orleans Saints thrashed the Indianapolis Colts on CBS. That first Super Bowl appearance and win for the Saints garnered a 46.4 in metered market ratings.

Even before the results were in for last night’s game, another voice was added to the chorus of praise for the Eagles. While Donald Trump passed on the traditional Presidential sit-down with the Super Bowl-broadcasting network Sunday, Tom Brady’s pal did take to social media for a few words after all the hoopla had left the field at Minneapolis’ U.S. Bank Stadium:


Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
Congratulations to the Philadelphia Eagles on a great Super Bowl victory!

9:54 PM - Feb 4, 2018
15,233 15,233 Replies 31,688 31,688 Retweets 173,628 173,628 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy
Also drawing compliments from POTUS when the Patriots won, last year’s Super Bowl on Fox ended up with a final viewership of 111.3 million and a 37.1 rating among adults 18-49. The Patriots’ winning Super Bowl XLIX of 2015 currently holds the title of most watched ever with 114.4 million viewers tuning in on NBC. That game delivered a 39.1 rating among the key demo.

Focusing in a bit more on where things could end up this year, the 201o Super Bowl drew a total TV crowd of 106.4 million and a rating of 38.6.

Starting at 10:45 PM ET, the postgame “Super Bowl Sunday” episode of This Is Us captured a 16.2 in metered market results, according to Nielsen. The 32nd episode in the run of the Dan Fogelman-created series and the highest-rated episode so far of the ratings hit, last night’s NFL-connected offering was up just more than 51% from Fox’s 11 PM ET-starting premiere of 24: Legacy after Super Bowl LI.

Even though it faced counterprogramming of sorts from Netflix’s suddenly announced release of The Cloverfield Paradox, Sunday’s This Is Us was the highest-rated post-Super Bowl offering since NBC aired The Voice at 10:15 PM ET in 2012. Last night’s fiery episode of the Emmy-winning series was also up 21% in metered market numbers from NBC’s The Blacklist in 2015, the network’s most recent post-Super Bowl presentation. That 10:38 PM ET start of the second-season episode of the James Spader-led series eventually pulled in an 8.4 rating among the 18-49s and 25.72 million viewers.

In This Is Us to This Is Us comparisons, last night’s airing certainly had Super Bowl bounce, with an 80% uptick over the series’ past metered market high of its Season 1 finale on March 14 last year.

NBC continued the Super Bowl celebrations with a 12:24 AM ET debuting The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon early this morning. Coming from the Minnesota city and featuring the cast of This Is Us plus Dwayne Johnson, the late-nighter grabbed a 5.7 in metered markets, up 4% from the last post-Super Bowl Tonight Show in 2015. It is now the third highest-rated episode of the Fallon era, topped only by two post-Winter Olympic episodes from the ex-Saturday Night Live cast member’s debut week in 2014.

We’ll update with more Super Bowl and This Is Us numbers plus the ratings for the Justin Timberlake halftime show as we get them later today. Until then, put last night’s game in further perspective by checking out the Top 5 Super Bowl metered market ratings ever:

1) 2015: 49.7 – Super Bowl XLIX: New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks (NBC)
2) 2016: 49.0 – Super Bowl 50: Denver Broncos vs. Carolina Panthers (CBS)
3) 2017: 48.8 – Super Bowl LI: New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons (Fox)
4) 2013: 48.1 – Super Bowl XLVII: Baltimore Ravens vs. San Francisco 49ers (CBS)
5) 2011: 47.9 – Super Bowl XLV: Green Bay Packers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (Fox)

Here are the Top 10 metered markets for the game:

1) Buffalo, 56.4/78
2) Philadelphia, 56.2/81
3) Boston, 55.9/81
4) Minneapolis-St. Paul, 54.9/82
5) Pittsburgh, 54.9/73
6) Norfolk, 53.9/73
7) New Orleans, 53.0/72
8) Providence, 52.5/77
9) Milwaukee, 52.3/73
10) Tie: Seattle, 52.2/79 Kansas City, 52.2/73

[Randallflagg]

Not that it matters, but I haven't watched a SB for the last 8-10 years. Just no interest in them.

[GloryDayz]

But, but, but streaming...

[Bewbies]

Super Bowl ratings will be helped by someone not named New England being there.

[manchambo]

Originally Posted by Reerun_KC

There are new stars in the making every year that interest people.

It raises an interesting question, though: the NBA rating have actually improved this year.

The NBA has always been more of a star-oriented league--people tune in to watch Bird v. Magic, Jordan vs. whoever, Lebron, etc. And the nature of the game is such that season-ending injuries to these stars are less common.

Furthermore, by its nature the NBA is more star and personality oriented compared to the NFL, where you have many more players, offensive vs. defensive, etc.

Is it possible that, as our society becomes ever more celebrity-obsessed, a team game will suffer?

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by manchambo

It raises an interesting question, though: the NBA rating have actually improved this year.

The NBA has always been more of a star-oriented league--people tune in to watch Bird v. Magic, Jordan vs. whoever, Lebron, etc. And the nature of the game is such that season-ending injuries to these stars are less common.

Furthermore, by its nature the NBA is more star and personality oriented compared to the NFL, where you have many more players, offensive vs. defensive, etc.

Is it possible that, as our society becomes ever more celebrity-obsessed, a team game will suffer?

The NBA is up? Didn't know that. I haven't been able to watch it since Mike got out. From what I can tell now it's less a sporting event and more a rap concert. You might be on to something there, with team games being replaced by individuals in a youtube video-like setting.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by GloryDayz

But, but, but streaming...

Super Bowl XVII was the 10th highest rated broadcast all time, just behind the season finale of M*A*S*H.

Numbers one through eight are all Super Bowl broadcasts.

[DaneMcCloud]

https://www.si.com/tech-media/2018/0...pn-nfl-network

Report: Fox to Broadcast 2018 NFL Draft

And then there were three.

In addition to already airing on ESPN and the NFL Network, a new report says the 2018 NFL Draft will also be broadcast on over-the-air TV, with Fox televising the yearly event.

Fox, which recently signed a five-year deal with the NFL to air Thursday Night Football, will reportedly carry the NFL Network feed of the Draft.

Rich Eisen hosts the Draft for the NFL Network.

The 2018 NFL Draft takes place in Dallas on April 26-28.

-------
Ratings