NFL ratings decline - why?

[Hall-line-forever]

Ratings down 12% so far this year and 4th year in a row.

Is it a talent issue? Overexposure issue? Political issue? Schedule issue?

What's your thought?

 

[HALL85]

Maybe this year people are a little preoccupied in two major population markets? Florida and Texas?

 

[SnakeTom]

Over exposure.

TK

 

[knowknow456]

I am a Met and Jet fan. In some sense, I wonder why I watch sports at all but that is a different topic.

In baseball, I was never compelled to watch a Royals/Red Sox game on ESPN.

In football, for whatever reason, I would often watch a Chiefs/Patriots game. Over time, I find myself watching those games less.

 

[SnakeTom]

I am also a Mets/Jets fan and like many of my fellow Jets fans I have decided to skip the 2017/18 season. but I will be back on Draft Day - lol.

Tom K

 

[HALL85]

I'm a Packer and Giant fan. Only two teams I'll watch a full game. Agree with Tom...overexposure.

 

[knowknow456]

I am also a Mets/Jets fan and like many of my fellow Jets fans I have decided to skip the 2017/18 season. but I will be back on Draft Day - lol.

Tom K

I am going to try to tough it out and watch but it definitely has an effect on how much interest I have in the rest of the league.

As a side note, I disagree with tanking in football which I don't think will work in the same way it does in baseball and basketball. The Jets have the potential to be historically bad, possibly dangerously bad, unless these unknowns pan out better than we think.

To specifically answer the original question, I would be in the over-exposure camp.

 

[SnakeTom]

I am going to try to tough it out and watch but it definitely has an effect on how much interest I have in the rest of the league.

As a side note, I disagree with tanking in football which I don't think will work in the same way it does in baseball and basketball. The Jets have the potential to be historically bad, possibly dangerously bad, unless these unknowns pan out better than we think.

To specifically answer the original question, I would be in the over-exposure camp.

To be serious of course I will watch the Jets games (tho probably no other NFL games) and yes I will be rooting for them to win. I can not root against my own team. Actually the Jets D is pretty decent but their problem is that the offense is so incredibly bad that the defense will be on the field for much too much time during the games & thus wear out.

MY PREDICTION Jets 14 wins & 2 losses. OK, I'm entitled since no games have been played yet !!! LOL

Tom K

 

[shu09]

I only watch three professional sports leagues. Baseball, hockey and the PGA Tour. I have always been interested in baseball but don't follow it nearly as much as I used to. Hockey is just a casual interest but the playoffs are must-see TV. I try to watch as much of that as I can (same with baseball's playoffs).

I'm a golfer myself so when I'm not playing, I'll watch the tour.

 

[Hall-line-forever]

SnakeTom.

Do you remember the WFL? New York Stars? Lol

 

[SnakeTom]

SnakeTom.

Do you remember the WFL? New York Stars? Lol

Didn't they fold after one game and the franchise then moved to Charolette ???

TK

 

[Hall-line-forever]

Didn't they fold after one game and the franchise then moved to Charolette ???

TK

You nailed it!!! New York Stars then moved to Charlotte mid-year and became Charlotte Hornets. League died after 2 years.

 

[TC88]

Ratings down 12% so far this year and 4th year in a row.

Is it a talent issue? Overexposure issue? Political issue? Schedule issue?

What's your thought?

CTE. Domestic Violence. Kaepernick. Trump. I'm out.

 

[chickenbox]

It's weird people are still so hot and bothered about kaepernick when there are players on multiple teams doing what he did and nobody much cares

 

[SnakeTom]

What Kapernick does or doesn't do is no factor to me at all. If I watch it is because I want to see FB. I don't care what the political beliefs of the players are. If he were a better player someone would have signed him.

Tom K

 

[SHUHoopsFan]

Are college football ratings going down? Or is it just the NFL?

Personally I spend Saturday's watching football. I don't like watching football that much that I put it on 2 days in a row. If other people want to watch the NFL I do it to be sociable, but I get my football fix on Saturdays.

Luckily Sundays still have baseball through October and by the second week of November college basketball starts.

 

[Section112]

I've gotten into college. Sold my Giants season tickets when they went to the new stadium and did the PSLs. F em!! Best decision I ever made. They've gotten too greedy. I still watch and follow but if I miss a game every now and then it's not as big of a problem as it was five years ago. I'm not happy with the Kaepernick BS but the NFL is not what it used to be. Spoiled brat athletes and owners that have taken it too far. Like SHU09 some Sundays I'd rather play or watch golf.

 

[SHUHoopsFan]

I think the NFL is in a tough spot. We're finding out sports and politics don't mix. You have liberal groups calling for a boycott because Colin kaepernick doesn't have a job. My guess is there are also a lot of fans who won't show up if their team does sign him. They are in a no win situation. The NFL brand is not invincible anymore. Add in concussions, the sport is going to be in for some rough years, the only thing going for it is gambling.

 

[Hall-line-forever]

The NFL is near complete feminization. Give it a few more years and its touch football for these ever growing bunch of pansies.

 

[Pirata]

Cable is on the decline. Cord cutting is contributing.

Demographics are changing. Hispanics, Eastern European...soccor vs football

Milennials have different lifestyles. Kayaking, hiking, biking......

Sports interest evolve. Boxing and horse racing used to the biggest sports. Nothing lasts forever.

Concussions.

Greed. NFL is over extending. Thursday night now.

Politics. Kaaperdinkle picked the wrong platform to further his views.

Tickets cost a fortune.

Go Jets. Go Giants. Wife roots for the Skins. Go figure.

 

[SnakeTom]

Sports interest evolve. Boxing and horse racing used to the biggest sports. Nothing lasts forever.
.

This is absolutely true. When I was a kid Baseball & Boxing were #1 & 2. Football & Hoops were way behind. And yes Horse racing was much bigger and from what I'm told at one time bike racing was very big.

Tom K

 

[Hall-line-forever]

If NFL is overextend, should 4 teams get cut?

Jacksonville, LA Chargers, Etc?

 

[knowknow456]

Reducing the number of teams will not make me more interested in watching Thursday night football.

 

[SHUHoopsFan]

Could it possibly be sports is a source of entertainment. People turn to sports to take a couple hours to get away from the hassles of every day life. If they want news they'll turn to Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, etc. The players in all pro sports need to realize they are paid to entertain by performing at the highest level. Nobody cares about anything else. You start shoving other things in peoples faces and they turn away.

 

[Section112]

Could it possibly be sports is a source of entertainment. People turn to sports to take a couple hours to get away from the hassles of every day life. If they want news they'll turn to Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, etc. The players in all pro sports need to realize they are paid to entertain by performing at the highest level. Nobody cares about anything else. You start shoving other things in peoples faces and they turn away.

Agree 100%! Everything is completely overpoliticized in our current culture. The 24 hour news cycle is ruining American culture in so many ways I can't stand it. I still love playing golf because I just think about my next shot and not much else. I just wish I had time to play.

 

[Pirata]

The 24 hour news cycle is ruining American culture in so many ways

We are going through the process of cutting the cable cord and in doing so have explored all the streaming providers and technology.

The amount of news content available is staggering.

It has caused us to take a step back and really evaluate how much time we waste listening to news coverage which in reality has turned into opinion coverage.

As an example, how many water rescues in Houston to we really need to see? What is point of watching an newscaster (idiot, perhaps) standing before the eye-wall of a CAT 4 hurricane and getting blown sideways? Etc-etc.

11:00 AM Tee Time today. Time to think about that next shot.

 

[HALL85]

We are going through the process of cutting the cable cord and in doing so have explored all the streaming providers and technology.

The amount of news content available is staggering.

It has caused us to take a step back and really evaluate how much time we waste listening to news coverage which in reality has turned into opinion coverage.

As an example, how many water rescues in Houston to we really need to see? What is point of watching an newscaster (idiot, perhaps) standing before the eye-wall of a CAT 4 hurricane and getting blown sideways? Etc-etc.

11:00 AM Tee Time today. Time to think about that next shot.

LCC??? lol Hit em' straight.

 

[Pirate64]

Could it possibly be sports is a source of entertainment. People turn to sports to take a couple hours to get away from the hassles of every day life. If they want news they'll turn to Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, etc. The players in all pro sports need to realize they are paid to entertain by performing at the highest level. Nobody cares about anything else. You start shoving other things in peoples faces and they turn away.

"My audience comes to see a good performance". Frank Sinatra
Frank was really saying that the other crap doesn't matter. Actually , it dilutes the performance.

 

[SHUHoopsFan]

"My audience comes to see a good performance". Frank Sinatra
Frank was really saying that the other crap doesn't matter. Actually , it dilutes the performance.

The problem is most don't understand the concept of theres a time and a place for everything. They have the platform to do a lot of good. During their work hours is just not the time nor the place. They spend most of their live being entitled, however as ratings drop, pay will drop, and they will get the message maybe we're going about this all wrong. By then it could be too late. The NFL may have a steeper hill to climb than MLB did when it went on strike in 1994.

 

[Belluno]

I used to be a big NFL fan, but now I cannot tell you the names of three players on what used to be my favorite team. I haven't watched one minute of the NFL season thus far and I probably won't watch any games this year except maybe the Superbowl for lack of anything better to do that day.
I love baseball but even there my interest has waned. A 222 hitter making millions of dollars just doesn't interest me. And once the Red Sox finally won the World Series, I became less interested in following them. I never have been a college football fan and if it weren't for Seton Hall basketball, I wouldn't follow college basketball either, not that I do that much anyway. Plus, it was easier to relate to players when I was more or less their age. Now that I am older I can't relate to young players anymore.
Basically, I want actors to act and athletes to play their games. I don't need to hear anything about politics from them. As others have already said,sports should be a diversion and if they're not, who needs them?

 

[shu09]

I used to be a big NFL fan, but now I cannot tell you the names of three players on what used to be my favorite team. I haven't watched one minute of the NFL season thus far and I probably won't watch any games this year except maybe the Superbowl for lack of anything better to do that day.
I love baseball but even there my interest has waned. A 222 hitter making millions of dollars just doesn't interest me. And once the Red Sox finally won the World Series, I became less interested in following them. I never have been a college football fan and if it weren't for Seton Hall basketball, I wouldn't follow college basketball either, not that I do that much anyway. Plus, it was easier to relate to players when I was more or less their age. Now that I am older I can't relate to young players anymore.

I view this similarly. I haven't watched the NFL since I was 14 or 15 years old. That sport doesn't appeal to me at all.

I absolutely love baseball as well, but it's hard to explain my feelings on the sport these days. Often times I don't feel like sitting down and watching a game on a given weeknight. But come playoff time next month, I'll be watching most of the games.

The huge influx of money into both professional and college sports is a major reason why I find sports in general to be less appealing than I did even three or four years ago.

 

[Pirata]

LCC??? lol Hit em' straight.

For a change, I did.

 

[SHUHoopsFan]

I view this similarly. I haven't watched the NFL since I was 14 or 15 years old. That sport doesn't appeal to me at all.

I absolutely love baseball as well, but it's hard to explain my feelings on the sport these days. Often times I don't feel like sitting down and watching a game on a given weeknight. But come playoff time next month, I'll be watching most of the games.

The huge influx of money into both professional and college sports is a major reason why I find sports in general to be less appealing than I did even three or four years ago.

I'm not an NFL fan. I love college football simply because of the atmosphere. I try to get to one big time place a year and I think the pregame atmosphere in general is as good as any sport.

I love baseball beyond belief. I am probably the only person on here who would choose to be at the College World Series over the Final 4. I miss Rosenblatt stadium up on the hill, but the CWS is a great event. I struggled watching MLB in 1995 after the strike, but I still went to SHU games, local HS games. But in general I will always watch the game, just not always MLB.

The problem is everything is politicized and not politicized fairly. I think it's been 2 straight years the NFL has been discussing a decline in viewers. Today I read an article that the NFL boycott because of Colin Kaepernick is leading to a decline in NFL viewers. Yes it adds to a bigger decline, but it's not the reason for the decline in general. Now you have the left and the right who aren't watching the NFL. Pretty soon we will be able to tell the number of people who bet on football based on viewership because that is all that will be left.

 

[shu09]

Saw the old Rosenblatt site when I was in Omaha a few years ago. Sad that all that's left is a tribute little league size park in the middle of the parking lot for the zoo.

Agree on politicization. It has certainly hurt the sports world.

 

[SHUHoopsFan]

Saw the old Rosenblatt site when I was in Omaha a few years ago. Sad that all that's left is a tribute little league size park in the middle of the parking lot for the zoo.

Agree on politicization. It has certainly hurt the sports world.

Definitely one of the best, if not the best, zoo I've ever been to. I went to Rosenblatt in 2010. I wasn't planning on going originally. During the super regionals that year I watch a documentary the Long Home Run. After watching that I just had to go and see that stadium 1 last time. It was packed, but still easy to get tix. TD Ameritrade Stadium is nice, but it's simply not Rosenblatt.

 

[SHUHoopsFan]

Since we're talking about ratings. I've been curious why don't any of the networks capitalize on the NFL's misfortune and hire Colin Kaepernick until he gets an NFL job. Why wouldn't CBS, NBC, ESPN, hire him as a pregame or postgame analyst, all of whom basically have a daily article about him not having a job. Is it possible they don't hire him because they know it will crush their ratings?

 

[HALL85]

Since we're talking about ratings. I've been curious why don't any of the networks capitalize on the NFL's misfortune and hire Colin Kaepernick until he gets an NFL job. Why wouldn't CBS, NBC, ESPN, hire him as a pregame or postgame analyst, all of whom basically have a daily article about him not having a job. Is it possible they don't hire him because they know it will crush their ratings?

The argument about why Kaepernick should be playing is focused on his town. But the NFL is also about entertainment, ratings and revenue. He is a public relations nightmare for a team and Doesn't seem to care about the negative impact that it has on the teams marketability. And if you're a head coach is that the kind of distraction you want leading your offensive team? He's not that good to overcome all of those negatives.

 

[SHUHoopsFan]

The argument about why Kaepernick should be playing is focused on his town. But the NFL is also about entertainment, ratings and revenue. He is a public relations nightmare for a team and Doesn't seem to care about the negative impact that it has on the teams marketability. And if you're a head coach is that the kind of distraction you want leading your offensive team? He's not that good to overcome all of those negatives.

Fox News got rid of Bill O'Reilly not because his ability as a journalist became worse but because of the public relations nightmare it would have been. people in the entertainment world are hired and fired because of revenue potential all of the time. The most qualified person doesn't always get the job in just about every industry. Many other factors go into play. Why people focus on him being good enough and not the entire package is ridiculous.

 

[SnakeTom]

The average fan goes to a game because he wants to see his team WIN.They don't really care about a players politics or (unfortunately) history of bad acts if he can make their team a winner. If Kapernick were good enough (or even Ray Rice for that matter) someone would have signed him but he isn't any more, so why would a team sign a player who is a distraction but has little chance to improve the team. It's really just a matter of risk & reward. Peterson found a buyer because he still had skills, Kapernick or Rice were no longer productive on the field for a team to risk poor fan reaction.

Tom K

 

[SHUHoopsFan]

The average fan goes to a game because he wants to see his team WIN.They don't really care about a players politics or (unfortunately) history of bad acts if he can make their team a winner. If Kapernick were good enough (or even Ray Rice for that matter) someone would have signed him but he isn't any more, so why would a team sign a player who is a distraction but has little chance to improve the team. It's really just a matter of risk & reward. Peterson found a buyer becausefL he still had skills, Kapernick or Rice were no longer productive on the field for a team to risk poor fan reaction.

Tom K

Yes the average fan is watching or going to the game to see their team win. However I think a big reason the ratings are dropping is because of the politics involved. People still want to see their team, but what about the games their team is not playing in? People are not watching games that their team is not playing in as much as they used to. Not as much water cooler talk about the MNF matchup as there once was.