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NFL ratings are down 18.7 percent from 2015.

And its a big ratings tool as they know exactly how many people watch via stream.

I have watched 1/2 the games on sportsarefree.xyz

You can get every game on this site. It is actually the NFL ticket....but free. I will have to watch this weeks game on there also.
 
I think that today's viewers are too fantasy focused, caring more about the team than the game - more about the stats than the actual play. That being the case they get stats updates and watch scores, not needing to invest 3-6-10 hours of their Sunday in front of their TV.

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This is a good analogy to today's casual fan. The FF folks would rather watch red zone so they can keep up with their stats for their team. They may not be intelligent about the game, but they will watch RZ like an investor who watches Bloomberg.


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Amazon released earnings this evening:

NFL Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video saw a total of 7.1 million views in the first four games. Prime members in 187 countries and territories have streamed games on living room devices, including smart TVs and Fire TVs, as well as the Prime Video mobile app and the web

http://www.businesswire.com/news/ho...n.com-Announces-Quarter-Sales-34-43.7-Billion

So yes... Streaming is a VERY big deal.

So, is that 7.1 million over 4 games? Like about 1.7 million views a week? Is that really a lot, considering its over 187 countries? I wonder if a 'view' is someone actually watching the game, as opposed to someone in some obscure place logging in to see what its all about for just a couple minutes?

Even if those numbers do represent a new fanbase, it doesn't change the fact that some (a lot) of life-long fans have completely tuned out. I'm guessing the number of people who have tuned out is much higher than most want to acknowledge.
 
The league isn't hurting. Numbers get spun.

If the League were truly in decline, the networks wouldn't be adding MORE pre game shows. Those have increased tremendously over the years in number and length.
Now with fantasy being as close to legal gambling as one can get outside of Nevada, it will only grow in popularity.


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I would be behind just spotting the ball at the 25 yard line. It would do away with a commercial break. I don't understand your love for KO returns. With them changing all the rules the past 5 to 10 years I personally could give a **** if they did away with it.

I love kick off returns. The used to be very exciting or if you on the other side of them, something to watch out for.

The coin is flipped. The Crowd loud. Then a boring Touch back. Ho-hum.

Move the ball back 5 yards and let them return it. Bring the action back, the rating need it. I miss the action, the drama and the collisions.
 
I love kick off returns. The used to be very exciting or if you on the other side of them, something to watch out for.

The coin is flipped. The Crowd loud. Then a boring Touch back. Ho-hum.

Move the ball back 5 yards and let them return it. Bring the action back, the rating need it. I miss the action, the drama and the collisions.


Thats the exact reason why they made the rule change.
 
I watch the Steelers that's it. I won't watch the other games. They want to let their players insult their customers then I will partake of less of their products.

Pretty much where I'm at but it started for me with that ****** tuck rule. Then the cheating, then the pussification, and now kneeling. Never figured I would care this little. Old and set in my ways I guess.
 
The league is pussified flag football. Not to mention over exposed. Sunday’s and a Monday night game bring back def new and league will bounce back or go out of business in 10’years.
 
Over exposed.
Rule changes.
Anthem contorversey.
Demographic changes and media habits.
These all are of some impact. How much, only time will tell. So its down compared to 2015. How about compared 2016? 2014? 2003? 1998? Could be that 2015 was also the year it reached its ceiling.
 
I think that today's viewers are too fantasy focused, caring more about the team than the game - more about the stats than the actual play. That being the case they get stats updates and watch scores, not needing to invest 3-6-10 hours of their Sunday in front of their TV.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Steeler Nation mobile app

What a great idea.

They could do like golf with a kid carrying a placard up and down the sideline with the amount of passes caught or how many tackles made.....****,,you know the money that can be made.

sign me up..
 
What a great idea.

They could do like golf with a kid carrying a placard up and down the sideline with the amount of passes caught or how many tackles made.....****,,you know the money that can be made.

sign me up..




I think you might have that JOB mixed up with the BEER. &. PEANUT sales guys that walked around and sold beer and tossed peanuts. This job would take a lot of work especially for the writers who had to change the stats all the time.......... Or would we go digital?????




Salute the nation
 
the ratings do now include DVR and streaming so that's not an excuse.

Here's why the decline

1. Politics - i believe this is by far the biggest reason now because the decline is sharp the last 2 years and it has been the intense injection of politics that is driving people away. Sports is the break from real life most people. Even those who may agree with the politics get pissed when it's part of their sports.

2. Rule Changes - I swear that from like 1980 until Goodell took over there were almost no rule changes. A few experiments with replay but other than that, not a ton of rule changes, Everybody was positive of what a catch was. There wasn't a hold called on every other play. DBs actually had to stop a WR from play on a ball to draw a flag instead of just putting a hand on them.

3. Concussion hysteria - Concussions are bad. That's about all that in knows for certain now. It is just a guess that concussions cause CTE. Despite that, Goodell, in an effort to make himself look good, sign onto the narrative that a certain number of concussions means you will die young.. Now the media covers that game with a sense of somber disapproval whenever there's a big hit, making it seem like i'm a horrible person for watching.

Case in point, that Flacco hit. He was dazed and walked off the field. A few years ago, that's not even a penalty and the game goes on. Today, the announcers get so quiet like it's a wake and they go to break with no music as if we must be praying for his survival. They almost try to make you feel guilty for watching.

4. Lack of Practice - as an offshoot of concussion hysteria and Goodell's weakness, they came up with the practice restrictions. The era of Two-a Days was already coming to an end as new research is showing that it is not as helpful as rest. But restricting the hitting is now maaking blocking and tackling a lost art.

Diva receivers get all the attention, but it is line play that really makes a great game. when line play is sloppy, you get a ****** game. Players are now getting into shape in the regular season. We all just saw a month of bad football.

The injury hysteria has also impacted preseason playing time. Now you have coaches afraid to play guys in preseason because if amybody gets hurt, the media will demand their head for being so dumb to have that guy playing in preseason.

Have injuries decreased? Hell no. If anything, they've increased a bit. These practice restrictions have failed. They have not reduced injures. All they've done is give render the first quarter of the season inept.

5. The Patriots - maybe it sounds like sour grapes, but i really think that so many people are sick of them that they tune out. And the way that they win is so uninspiring. They just sort of outlast their opponent. Like a boxer who gets ahead on points then runs away most of the rounds and wins on points.
 
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The league does not get it. Fans are tired of all the extra crap on, off field. When these situations are covered more than the game itself, it gets old fast. The rotten apples have truly turned the game down a notch. Fantasy leagues more than likely keep the percentage being worse.

I agree with B&GA. I think it's equal parts having all things NFL force-fed down our throats, and anthem protests. With the marketing...I think the NFL is so focused on attracting the young audience and the female demographic that it's leaving the older, money making, decision making audience in its wake. Every commercial...every commentator, every NFL related show, I find nauseating. The endless marketing to women...I mean...I get it, but it's sooooooooo obvious that it detracts from the intent, in my opinion. I know many "die-hard" female fans, but probably half of them...if their husband stopped watching, so would they. It's the husbands and fathers that make female football fans, not NFL Store commercials.

On the anthem protests...I think it's more them just the kneeling. As it's been repeated over and over again these guys are millionaires so to look at them as the social conscious of the country is misguided. And for me personally...these guys are young kid, and I don't need to be preached to by 25 yo, millionaire primadonna. They don't represent me. They are not my social conscious. Pick up the football, and play the damn game.
 
I think you might have that JOB mixed up with the BEER. &. PEANUT sales guys that walked around and sold beer and tossed peanuts. This job would take a lot of work especially for the writers who had to change the stats all the time.......... Or would we go digital?????




Salute the nation

Both...man this might work. Put digital updates on a board carried by the vendors...win win.
 
Pretty much where I'm at but it started for me with that ****** tuck rule. Then the cheating, then the pussification, and now kneeling. Never figured I would care this little. Old and set in my ways I guess.

Pretty much the trajectory I took as well. As soon as hard hits on the QB became outlawed years ago and the league actively colluded with the Patriots to handcuff everyone else I emotionally checked out. At that point watching the games became a hobby instead of an obsession. It's only gotten worse since then. I've never fully checked back in and won't most likely to that level.
 
Fake news.
Everyone is cancelling cable and satellite service these days. Alot of people are watching online via sunday ticket, firestick, kodi, and a million other ways. Verizon has NFL mobile playing all local games right on your phone. Amazon is streaming NFL games and every other network has a streaming app to watch games
Internet is killing everything from Magazines to the music industry to Wal Mart.
I'm willing to bet network viewer numbers are down by more than 15% for all other non nfl programming.
 
my lack of attention to games:

too much thug bullshit
too much oversaturation
AND way too many whining sniveling hurt my feelings kneeling cause im gay bullshit!
 
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