NFL

[LITT]

how have tv ratings been

[DigitalGypsy66]

how have tv ratings been

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sliding-nf ... or-a-loss/

In a fractured media environment where award-winning scripted dramas compete for the public's attention along with goofy cat videos, one of the few things that multibillion dollar media and entertainment conglomerates could count on to attract millions of viewers -- and generate the ad revenue that keeps them in business -- was the National Football League.

These days, however, the most popular U.S. professional sport isn't such a sure bet. According to Pivotal Research analyst Brian Wieser, viewership for the NFL was down 14 percent on a year-over-year basis during the first week of the 2017-18 season. That's the lowest level of same-week viewing since 2009.

Theories abound attempting to explain the ratings drop. Among them: the public's attention being diverted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Before that, the nastiest presidential campaign in recent memory fixated viewers away from the gridiron.

Others have pointed to the controversy around former San Francisco 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick as a fan turn-off. Injuries to stars such as wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. of the New York Giants haven't helped, either, nor do the retirements of fan favorites such as Peyton Manning.

Some sports fans have argued that the quality of the league's product has slipped. Some evidence justifies these concerns. According to 538.com, only three games in the season's Week One were decided by 7 or fewer points, the lowest number for an opening week since 1973. Teams combined for 40.4 points per game, the sixth-lowest mark since 2012. Many of the games weren't even close, with the average margin of victory at 3-to-1.

[Troy Loney]

It's probably due to the fact that between commercial breaks, instant replay reviews and natural game play delays, it's an unwatchable sport.

[Freddy Rumsen]

I rarely watch the NFL anymore, but that is something I noticed as well. There are a lot more commercial breaks during NFL games than on College football telecasts.

[grunthy]

And that it's on Thursday, Sunday and Monday. They need to get rid of Thursday night football.

[shmenguin]

looking forward to when the league starts floundering enough that they're gonna try to right some wrongs with how they make money. excessive commercials, youtube throttling would be a good place to start.

[columbia]

it's an unwatchable sport.

[Silentom]

it's an unwatchable sport.

[slappybrown]

"I was going to watch the NFL, but then I remembered Colin Kaepernick did a thing so I REFUSE TO WATCH. ALSO THERE WERE HURRICANES!"

Your product is bad. Maybe that's it.

[grunthy]

Product is bad(half the teams suck ass), played on too many days, too many commercials and the NFL **** on three different cities (SD, Oakland and St. Louis). Losing those three cities and picking up the 5 fans between LA and LV didn't help.

[dodint]

Last year it was Trump. Now it's Hurricanes.

More likely the endless meaningless preseason and the other factors mentioned here are in play. Last year the ratings picked back up after Thanksgiving, we'll see what happens this year.

I watched only the Steelers game this week, and I time shifted it so I skipped all the commercials. It was still boring. As I mentioned I did watch 30 minutes of the Redskins game but it was on in the background when I was running on my treadmill. The pacing (of the game) was horrible. I wasn't kidding when I said it took 30 real time minutes to progress through 4 minutes of that game.

[nocera]

Not to mention they're insanely stupid TV deal which limits the amount of games that can be shown. CBS hasn't had both a 1 pm and 4 pm game yet for me. Even if I wanted to watch more games, I couldn't.

[LITT]

how have tv ratings been

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sliding-nf ... or-a-loss/

In a fractured media environment where award-winning scripted dramas compete for the public's attention along with goofy cat videos, one of the few things that multibillion dollar media and entertainment conglomerates could count on to attract millions of viewers -- and generate the ad revenue that keeps them in business -- was the National Football League.

These days, however, the most popular U.S. professional sport isn't such a sure bet. According to Pivotal Research analyst Brian Wieser, viewership for the NFL was down 14 percent on a year-over-year basis during the first week of the 2017-18 season. That's the lowest level of same-week viewing since 2009.

Theories abound attempting to explain the ratings drop. Among them: the public's attention being diverted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Before that, the nastiest presidential campaign in recent memory fixated viewers away from the gridiron.

Others have pointed to the controversy around former San Francisco 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick as a fan turn-off. Injuries to stars such as wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. of the New York Giants haven't helped, either, nor do the retirements of fan favorites such as Peyton Manning.

Some sports fans have argued that the quality of the league's product has slipped. Some evidence justifies these concerns. According to 538.com, only three games in the season's Week One were decided by 7 or fewer points, the lowest number for an opening week since 1973. Teams combined for 40.4 points per game, the sixth-lowest mark since 2012. Many of the games weren't even close, with the average margin of victory at 3-to-1.

is there anything that shows specifically in LA?

[nocera]

Chargers' first L.A. game draws a loud crowd ... rooting for Dolphins

https://sports.yahoo.com/chargers-first ... 32150.html

https://twitter.com/LindseyThiry/status ... 8504124417

I'm guessing LA doesn't care.

[columbia]

Your average CFB fan is probably pretty pumped to watch great rivaly games: USC/UCLA, Michigan/ND, Penn State/Rugers, Oklahoma/Texas, etc.

Does the average fan living in Illinois get all stoked to watch Dallas and Wash?

[dodint]

I was thinking that last night. I think a better model is baseball, a demonstrated national sport with local appeal. Playoffs and the occasional Red Sox/Yankees game will garner some national interest, but the real ratings are to be had in the local market. I think/hope that this is the way football is going to be in the future. I used to wake up Sunday, flip on my Sunday Ticket, record 5-6 games and watch wall to wall for 12 hours. Now I watch my local game and I don't even watch it live.

Jokes aside, I'm done watching the Cowboys every week. I'm done watching the Giants. Bad do nothing teams propped up every week for non-football reasons. I don't care.

[Freddy Rumsen]

Half the NFL teams do not have a functioning QB.

[Troy Loney]

Prolonged periods with a lack of parity can kill a major sport too. I think Baseball's recent success has a bit to do with the end of the Yankees most recent dynasty, the end of the drug era has also helped boost parity and the value of young players. But the financial heavyweights are primed to throw their resource advantage around to win, so it's not long before baseball reverts back to dynasties.

I really think people lack interest in the league when the Patriots are all but escorted into the AFC Championship game each year. The NFL will be a better place when Brady finally leaves.

[Dickie Dunn]

Football games (college included) have become as much of a slog to sit through as baseball games. College games routinely take 3.5 to complete, but (IMO) a well played college football game tends to be more exciting, higher scoring, etc. It's become a rare occasion for me to watch a non-Steelers NFL game and even then I rarely watch it live with my ass plopped onto the couch at 1 PM (or whatever god awful time other than 1 PM its being played at). It took less than 25 minutes for me to DVR skip my way through each game this season and not miss a single play. I've got too much going on in my life to dedicate 3+ hours on a Sunday afternoon to 7 minutes of action and 3 hours of commercials and standing around.

[Staggy]

Oh my god the TNF game this week is Rams at 49ers. I guess if it's gonna suck either way you might as well put your worst game there.

[nocera]

Football games (college included) have become as much of a slog to sit through as baseball games. College games routinely take 3.5 to complete, but (IMO) a well played college football game tends to be more exciting, higher scoring, etc. It's become a rare occasion for me to watch a non-Steelers NFL game and even then I rarely watch it live with my ass plopped onto the couch at 1 PM (or whatever god awful time other than 1 PM its being played at). It took less than 25 minutes for me to DVR skip my way through each game this season and not miss a single play. I've got too much going on in my life to dedicate 3+ hours on a Sunday afternoon to 7 minutes of action and 3 hours of commercials and standing around.

Yup, we have perfected watching games on DVR. The 30-second skip ahead button is a godsend. If you hit that just as the play ends, it perfectly skips the huddle time and goes directly to the next play. Watching it this way you really see how little gameplay there actually is. Like you said, it's not uncommon to watch a full game w/ every play in less than a half hour.

[the wicked child]

People aren't watching because most of the games are boring. As mentioned, commercials are a huge problem, but the inherent downtime between plays hurts as well.

I can't even really get too excited for Stillers games at this point. The regular season is boring and mostly pointless.

The playoffs become a matter of will they face Tom Brady or not... If they do, they will lose.

So what is there to get excited about?

Sure as **** not that great Thursday matchup that is looming.

[NTP66]

How long did the Steelers game last? About 3:20? If I had anything better to do yesterday afternoon, I'd have left sometime in the 3rd quarter.

[Dickie Dunn]

[Troy Loney]

lol, shots of players standing around.