NFL TV Partners Set To Lose Up To $500 Million On Ratings Decline

[Chuck Wagon]

11 minutes ago, Sammy Watkins' Rib said:

Nothing about cord cutting?? His top four doesn't include cord cutting at all? Cord cutting is #1 IMO. I don't watch a lick of MNF or the exclusive NFL network TNF games due to cord cutting. I'm sure I am not alone.

 

 

Cord Cutting doesn't mean "no espn".  The proper execution of cord cutting is getting access to most, if not all, of what you used to watch, but cutting out the cable company and using alternate resources to save money.  With Sling TV and plenty of other sources to get games, to "cord cut" and not have access to what you want to watch means you are doing it wrong.

[jimmy10]

Who is surprised by this? I knew the annual "TSW - How Do I Call and Dicker For Free Sunday Ticket?" threads would bite us in the ass eventually. 

 

 

[xsoldier54]

1 hour ago, Gugny said:

I agree with most of it.

 

I think horrible officiating is another factor that I would have included.

 

I like that they minimized the impact of the protests.  I think any decline in viewership due to the protests has been very small.  Obviously, that's just my opinion.

 

Lastly, I think social media has had an impact - and it's the players, themselves who have hurt the league.  I think players like Richard Sherman, voicing his displeasure with the league and - pretty much - telling us how much he hates his job, hurts viewership.  I'm not saying Sherman doesn't have legitimate gripes.  I'm simply opining that the more fans see how unhappy the players are, the less fun it is to watch.

 

This is why I think bringing back TD celebrations was a good idea.

 

People want to watch good football (playing and officiating) and they want to see players having fun.

 

Can't say I agree that the protests have had little effect on viewership.  I have a handful of friends who are die hard Bills fans.  They are also veterans and have stopped watching and going to games as long as the players continue to kneel for the anthem.  Two are even season ticket holders, but won't go or watch. This is just in my small circle of friends and there are about 5 guys I know who have done this.  If this is just my little circle, I can't even imagine how many others have chosen to do the same things.   

[Gugny]

1 minute ago, xsoldier54 said:

Can't say I agree that the protests have had little effect on viewership.  I have a handful of friends who are die hard Bills fans.  They are also veterans and have stopped watching and going to games as long as the players continue to kneel for the anthem.  Two are even season ticket holders, but won't go or watch. This is just in my small circle of friends and there are about 5 guys I know who have done this.  If this is just my little circle, I can't even imagine how many others have chosen to do the same things.   

 

But they didn't care that Joe Mixon broke a pregnant girl's face and got drafted?

 

Weird.

[RalphWilson'sNewWar]

1.). Need younger coaches who are more offensively inclined.

 

2.)  Coaches need greater job security.  Most coaches would rather lose by a little and make all the safe calls than take risks and lose by a lot.  It's easier to explain away when review time arrives.

[26CornerBlitz]

8 minutes ago, jimmy10 said:

Who is surprised by this? I knew the annual "TSW - How Do I Call and Dicker For Free Sunday Ticket?" threads would bite us in the ass eventually. 

 

How does that impact viewership if people who do that successfully are still watching?

[Big Turk]

1 hour ago, Gugny said:

I agree with most of it.

 

I think horrible officiating is another factor that I would have included.

 

I like that they minimized the impact of the protests.  I think any decline in viewership due to the protests has been very small.  Obviously, that's just my opinion.

 

Lastly, I think social media has had an impact - and it's the players, themselves who have hurt the league.  I think players like Richard Sherman, voicing his displeasure with the league and - pretty much - telling us how much he hates his job, hurts viewership.  I'm not saying Sherman doesn't have legitimate gripes.  I'm simply opining that the more fans see how unhappy the players are, the less fun it is to watch.

 

This is why I think bringing back TD celebrations was a good idea.

 

People want to watch good football (playing and officiating) and they want to see players having fun.

 

 

I think for the casual fan not being able to understand the basic facets of the game must be mind boggling...like what is a catch?

You see the same play in 3 different games and its ruled differently and for different reasons in all 3 games.  Blatantly bad calls by refs(ie, penalty against Gaines last week) that could cost a team a game are also tough to swallow...

 

The NFL has hurt itself by turning simple things that should be able to be understood by anyone watching into subjective calls that make no sense half the time.

[PolishDave]

1 minute ago, xsoldier54 said:

Can't say I agree that the protests have had little effect on viewership.  I have a handful of friends who are die hard Bills fans.  They are also veterans and have stopped watching and going to games as long as the players continue to kneel for the anthem.  Two are even season ticket holders, but won't go or watch. This is just in my small circle of friends and there are about 5 guys I know who have done this.  If this is just my little circle, I can't even imagine how many others have chosen to do the same things.   

 

You are right.   There are more people boycotting it than some realize.   I guess it depends on who you know.   I am very surprised at how many people I know who have boycotted NFL entirely since about the second game after they started kneeling.    That includes 2 season ticket holders I know and a seemingly growing number of other more casual fans.   Seems to me like the boycott has gained a little steam since a few people started it.

 

Probably not enough to make a major impact like cord cutting has though.    I agree with others who posted that cord cutting is a big reason.   It certainly is.    The only reason I haven't cut the cord yet is because so far the only option I have found that has every channel I want and most of the wife's is Sling.   Many other options don't even give you NFL channel.

[John in Jax]

1 hour ago, Gugny said:

I think horrible officiating is another factor that I would have included.

THIS.....times about a million.

[plenzmd1]

5 minutes ago, PolishDave said:

 

You are right.   There are more people boycotting it than some realize.   I guess it depends on who you know.   I am very surprised at how many people I know who have boycotted NFL entirely since about the second game after they started kneeling.   

 

I think that's probably right. Most of the folks I hang with fall to the liberal side, and cant say I know of anyone boycotting the NFL over the protests, but wrong of me to think that is a fair representation across the board.

[4_kidd_4]

Example, the review of the Zay Jones TD this past sunday.

 

What are they looking at? Knee and elbow both down in the endzone, clear catch and control.

 

But stop the game (and the woohoo! TD vibe) to confirm what we can all see at home, clear as day.  

 

Small example, but a good one to illustrate why the NFL product sucks. No flow, dragged out games, poor officiating.

[teef]

21 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

 

When I was at the Falcons game, it looked half empty but it was sold out.  There were thousands of people just walking around the stadium site seeing.

 

There are bars and restaurants inside as well where people where eating/drinking while watching the game on TV.  They were literally watching the game on TV when they are actually at the game.

 

There's games and other activities to get involved in during the game.  Really shocking to see people 1/2 the people wanted to partake in other activities rather than just sitting in the seats they bought to watch the game.  

 

 

i wonder if this is a thing in large markets.  a few years back, we would get club tickets to the tronto leafs games on the regular.  i know it's a completely different sport, but same thing.  the club was packed, and it was like social hour a the bar.  people weren't even interested in the game.

[PolishDave]

1 minute ago, 4_kidd_4 said:

Example, the review of the Zay Jones TD this past sunday.

 

What are they looking at? Knee and elbow both down in the endzone, clear catch and control.

 

But stop the game (and the woohoo! TD vibe) to confirm what we can all see at home, clear as day.  

 

Small example, but a good one to illustrate why the NFL product sucks. No flow, dragged out games, poor officiating.

 

I wondered why the league doesn't have a ref watching the actual live broadcast of the game that the television viewers are watching so that when the general consensus is that it is a bonehead call, the ref watching television can get on the horn and let them know that call needs review.

 

It has to be the same feed broadcast that the viewers at home watch, that way the bias of the announcers/commentators gets accounted for too.   The commentators can sway opinion greatly.   So the ref needs to hear what those guys are saying that is obviously influencing the fans' opinions of how fair the calls are.

[plenzmd1]

1 minute ago, teef said:

i wonder if this is a thing in large markets.  a few years back, we would get club tickets to the tronto leafs games on the regular.  i know it's a completely different sport, but same thing.  the club was packed, and it was like social hour a the bar.  people weren't even interested in the game.

its a thing everywhere, but don't think that is affecting TV ratings. Look at the Club level in any NFL stadium, seats in clubs seem like never more than half full. So many club seats used as corporate entertainment, and plenty of the folks using the tickets not even there for the "game", there for the event.

[jimmy10]

17 minutes ago, 26CornerBlitz said:

 

How does that impact viewership if people who do that successfully are still watching?

 

Simple. I stopped reading the headline after “$500 Million.”

[PolishDave]

5 minutes ago, teef said:

i wonder if this is a thing in large markets.  a few years back, we would get club tickets to the tronto leafs games on the regular.  i know it's a completely different sport, but same thing.  the club was packed, and it was like social hour a the bar.  people weren't even interested in the game.

 

1 minute ago, plenzmd1 said:

its a thing everywhere, but don't think that is affecting TV ratings. Look at the Club level in any NFL stadium, seats in clubs seem like never more than half full. So many club seats used as corporate entertainment, and plenty of the folks using the tickets not even there for the "game", there for the event.

 

It's like a baseball game.   Who actually watches the game?

 

You just hang out, soak up some sun, enjoy a hot dog and a few beers with your buddies.     What is happening in the game and its overall outcome is an after thought.

[boyst]

All fans are saying the protests are effecting the game. Cant miss it in comments or even articles. Yet people think it's a small issue.

 

I'd bet it is helping accelerate the decline of this crap product. I watch a whole lot less football now because it's terrible and the players are as dumb as ever 

[26CornerBlitz]

1 minute ago, jimmy10 said:

 

Simple. I stopped reading the headline after “$500 Million.”

 

The article referred to NBC, CBS, FOX, and ESPN.  No mention of DirecTV.

[Gordio]

I could only speak for myself but I have loss interest in the NFL partly due to every year New England seems all but unbeatable.  I am tired of seeing Tom Brady, tired of seeing Belicheat.  Just tired of it.  Their dynasty has crossed the line a long time ago of being ridiculous.  No QB that was drafted as a 6th round pick in 1999 should be still dominating the league.  It borderlines on insanity if you think about it & questions come into my mind whether the games are actually fixed(or at least the NE games.)  This isn't college basketball in the 1970's when UCLA was dominating, no team with the way the NFL is setup should have a run of dominance going on three decades. 

[CodeMonkey]

45 minutes ago, BuffaloBill said:

 

 

I also agree with the opinions stated in the article.  The NFL product is in decline and they are oversaturarting the market.  If the Bills had left Buffalo I would not watch games.  The CTE isssue remains a ticking time bomb and it has worn luster off the league.

That's where I am as well.  I watch nothing but the Bills games anymore.  10 years ago I would watch games all day.