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.”

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by threebag02

I won't buy my guests or co-workers anythjng I wouldn't eat myself.

I'm sure your Doritos and Cheez-Whiz plates are the stuff of legend.

[FlaChief58]

Originally Posted by Sweet Daddy Hate

I'm sure your Doritos and Cheez-Whiz plates are the stuff of legend.

Doritos? Must be nice to have that kind of cash to throw around...

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by Flachief58

Doritos? Must be nice to have that kind of cash to throw around...

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

That deal with the NFL isn't set to expire until after the 2021 season, so it's up to Direct TV, not the NFL, as to how they distribute the Sunday Ticket.

Streaming requires a different set of licenses so if the Direct TV were to offer a streaming only package, they'd have to do so with the consent of the NFL.

satellite TV is not an option for me. Way to many thunderstorms knocking out my entertainment at inconvient times. And then I've got to get a separate provider for broadband access.

The NFL or Direct TV needs to license it out to streaming.

[FlaChief58]

For me, my die hard attitude towards the NFL changed over time as the internet gave me easy access to data, specifically the Chiefs. Having lived outside of the Chiefs market most of my life, I used to rely on a 20 second spot on ESPN or a couple of lines in the local paper for all of my Chiefs news. Now I can tune out all of the BS on ESPN/NFLN etc and get everything I want pertaining to the Chiefs with a touch of a button.
I stream the games I want to watch (chiefs) not because I'm not willing to pay for them, but because I don't want to pay for access to a bunch of games I have no interest in since I don't gamble or play FF.
The NFL needs to take people like myself into consideration and make individual games available at a reasonable cost. Ratings would most certainly return to normal if they would listen to their target audience.

[mr. tegu]

If sports betting was legalized everywhere the next NFL Sunday would have the highest ratings ever and everyone (except the bettors) would make more money than they thought possible.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

satellite TV is not an option for me. Way to many thunderstorms knocking out my entertainment at inconvient times. And then I've got to get a separate provider for broadband access.

The NFL or Direct TV needs to license it out to streaming.

Agreed, 100%.

They’re limiting their audience

[ChiefGator]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

If sports betting was legalized everywhere the next NFL Sunday would have the highest ratings ever and everyone (except the bettors) would make more money than they thought possible.

You think? My belief is people who want to bet on games are already finding ways to bet. And those that don't, probably don't care to.

I'm in the later group though, so I may be wrong.

[Lightrise]

I bailed because of commercials mostly. I ditched Sunday ticket after a year in which the Chiefs were on broadcast TV 8 times in my area (outside KC). It took me about 3 weeks on Redzone to get hooked...no commercials and I love it. It's a very exciting way to watch. But I do see several issues that need addressing...

1. Thursday has to go.
2. Pregame is horrible...NFL network is the best, but even it isn't working as well as it should. Some of it is stupid, lone wolf and the silliness. I really miss Playbook with Sterling Sharpe. That was interesting. Stadium reports are dumb too...don't need to see someone get off a bus.
3. Officials - way too many penalties and for God's sake...clean up pass interference, is it, or isn't it a catch BS and eliminate replay after a score except in the last 2 minutes.
4. Force Kickoff returns unless the kick is out of the endzone on the fly
5. Eliminate all pre-season games in exchange for bigger rosters that have to be cut in phases through the first half of the season. It adds a new element to the game...managing players for rest/injury/player development etc.
6. Move the NFL draft up, it's too late now.
7. narrow the goal post by a foot


You can't stop the ratings decline...but you sure can slow the rate of decline and all the above can be cleaned up in 1 year. The thing about expanded rosters is that you can mandate a given player can only play x amount of games...stars will be born and injuries will be less impactive.

[cooper barrett]

So what you're both saying in different ways is that once both sports tried to "grow" their business instead of enjoying their success. trying to get more market share and more money, the fans seemed to lose interest, ratings fell, and suddenly the fan base was one that really didn't give a real shit about the sport but were just there because it used to be cool?

I personally would watch more football if it were a sport again and not so much an entertainment program. When helmets used to come off and the fights ensued the NFL started going to commercial... Been going downhill ever since.

When NFL Football and NASCAR had to be everything to everybody, I for one slowly lost interest.

Originally Posted by Stinky Nuts McGee

I think NASCAR's ratings are down for similar reasons...to me it's just not that interesting anymore. Something got lost when they went to the CoT, they ruined Bristol, boring cookie cutter tracks in place of classic ones like Darlington and North Wilkesboro, drivers aren't allowed to have personalities anymore, constant changes in the rules...I could go on and on.

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

Yup. That's the way I feel about the NFL. And I could give two shits about the protests.

College football is still fun to watch. But in the NFL... I'm tired of injuries and penalties. I despise Thursday night football and London games with every inch of my body. I'm tired of watching the same QBs win every week and to get screwed over by refs who are getting worse enforcing rules that favor those same QBs. I hate that they turned the NFL draft into a great time of the year into a circus. Every single no good lousy decision seems to have Goodell's idiot fingerprints on them.

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by ChiefGator

You think? My belief is people who want to bet on games are already finding ways to bet. And those that don't, probably don't care to.

I'm in the later group though, so I may be wrong.

I think there is still a stigma about it. Plus the fact that placing your bets requires a local bookie, which people are scared of or don't know how to get, or they have to put money in an offshore account. That process can be a pain and it's hard to just place one bet and cash out. I have talked to many people who don't bet for these reasons. I think there would be way more casual bettors.

[cooper barrett]

Are there other activist groups, 401c3 or not, who the NFL or the 49er's gives publicity, airtime, directly or indirectly, so they can use the NFL brand and market share for it's benefit and the detriment of the league?

Originally Posted by rico

The ones I know who have stopped watching, have done so because they don't want to see or hear about the protests.

My dad stopped watching and stopped maintaining or even checking his fantasy football teams because of the protests... So did my brother. One of my best friends stopped watching, not necessarily because he is offended by the protests, but because he is sick of hearing about them/seeing them when he watches. A couple guys I work with did this as well. A few acquaintances here and there. Really, I know of quite a few people from my area who stopped watching because of it.

It's been really annoying. These NFL players are going to feel the way they do about sociological/political issues and that is their right and no one should ever prevent them from formulating their opinions. However, it becomes annoying if they actually believe their protests during football games are going to accomplish anything in their favor. It becomes even more annoying when some (probably most) of these players don't even understand the reasons as to why they are protesting...they are doing it while simultaneously not understanding the complexities of the situation and/or are attempting to garner attention via being the distraction that they know it is causing. It annoys me when I want to have an NFL football conversation with someone who usually enjoys the NFL, but cuts me off mid-sentence to let me know that they aren't watching because they are disgruntled about the protests.

I'm not going to get into their right to protest and what-not...I understand that it's their right to do what they are doing...It's just annoying because I see what they are doing as being counter-productive. Yes, I understand that I am from a non-populated area, so there is probably a smaller, less diverse sample size in terms of who I have spoken to. But it's not like there aren't multiple regions across the nation that are similar to my own...it adds up. For these players who actually do feel passionate about the sociological issues they claim to be protesting and are trying to make a statement (not just try to garner attention), I just wish they would make their statement somewhere else or in some different way because purposely protesting during the games will accomplish nothing for their cause. If anything, it will make things worse. I enjoy the NFL and really dislike the apathy of the longtime fans that has resulted due to the protests.

[cooper barrett]

Originally Posted by Dinny Bossa Nova

Look on the bright side, little buddy.

You're not the only dipshit in the family.

Dinny

It took Dinny a awhile to understand that "Dilly Dilly" was insulting his intelegence, or lack there of. But he too learned.

Kaepernik can't be given a job as a practice squad back up's backup because he single handedly caused more damage to the NFL's Brand than any person, group, or organization ever has.

Don't forget York allowed it and doesn't get all the credit he deserves.: Drop his ass in the deepest sector of the cops "No Go" zone and see if his stance of supporting Kaep gets him out unscathed.

NFL will be better off without him in a leadership role and after this season, I doubt he will be.

[Dinny Bossa Nova]

Originally Posted by cooper barrett

It took Dinny a awhile to understand that "Dilly Dilly" was insulting his intelegence, or lack there of. But he too learned.

Kaepernik can't be given a job as a practice squad back up's backup because he single handedly caused more damage to the NFL's Brand than any person, group, or organization ever has.

Don't forget York allowed it and doesn't get all the credit he deserves.: Drop his ass in the deepest sector of the cops "No Go" zone and see if his stance of supporting Kaep gets him out unscathed.

NFL will be better off without him in a leadership role and after this season, I doubt he will be.

Your fascination with man asses is disturbing.

No, I do not want to make out with you.

Have you met pestilence? He seems nice.

Dinny

[cooper barrett]

Originally Posted by idrapethat

Anecdotal evidence...I have to watch the game at my parents' house because I don't have cable. Football is literally the only thing I need a TV to enjoy.

CP should start you a "Go Fund Me" page> Nobody should be forced to watch TV at their parents house.

Does they feed you?

Allow cursing?

Does your Mom serve beers and shots?

What about younger sisters? Too much???

Maybe after you get cable... You could post the address, The're going to be lonely without you...Posted for a friend.