NFL’s Fumbles Cause TV Ratings Tumbles

It began during halftime of the Super Bowl this past February. A portion of the entertainment show, according to many television viewers, was portrayed as anti-police and supportive of specific criminal elements of society. The National Football League seemed surprised at both the contents of the show and the negative fan reaction.

As this season’s football schedule got underway, the Dallas Cowboys decided to honor, on their uniforms, five fallen Dallas police officers who were targeted victims of anti-police violence. The NFL refused the uniform request. Soon after, one, then two and then a number of players throughout the league decided to stage a stage personal political protests during the playing of the national anthem.

During the months following the Super Bowl, many sports fans and non-sports fans increasingly became outraged about increased protests and rioting, the targets placed on America’s police officers and the political protests by high-paid athletes at athletic events. #BoycottNFL quickly began to circulate on social media and the television ratings for professional football started to tumble.

Opinions Of Media Pros

While the correlation between these events and the anger among a cross-section of the population has been documented, possibly other factors, such as the increased focus on the unprecedented presidential election, have contributed to the black-out of televised football games by fans. Several former and current media professionals recently shared their thoughts about football’s ratings decline.

• “The numbers I see reflect a sea change in the way people watch TV. Fewer and fewer people watch anything that is live, on its first airing, on someone else's schedule. We record shows to watch on our own time, on tablets and laptops. Sports watching has been the big holdout in this lifestyle change, but we are starting to see some big dents made this season.”

• “The biggest reason for lower ratings is the product. There are too many games -- Sunday, Sunday night, Monday night, Thursday night -- and many are featuring inferior teams.”

• “Between Thursday and Sunday there are about six games to watch. Most fans will watch one, maybe two. Few will watch all six.”

• “The RedZone channel is a factor. Fantasy has taken hold. You can watch the red zone and see all the plays you really need.” (NFL RedZone from NFL Network is a "special" game-day exclusive channel closely linked to fantasy football.)

• “A lot of people only care about their fantasy teams [and] don't have the patience or interest to watch and support a team each week.”

• “The violence of football is catching up with society. Fewer kids are playing it due to the injuries, especially concussions. The NFL was very slow to take action to study and prevent concussions.”

Fans Speak Out

The following comments from several fans offer additional suggestions, including anger with the NFL product, for the tanking of this season's television ratings.

• “…endless commercials, way too many flags and time consuming play reviews.”

• “More people are turned off by these guys’ antics. Casual fans want to get away from politics when they watch sports.”

• “Too much watching these nitwits banging their chests and dancing around!!! Childish and juvenile behavior!!!

• One fan indicated that when the NFL does present military events during pre-game ceremonies or at halftime, the celebration comes with a cost. “They make the armed forces pay up to 500K just for the privilege.”

These comments, and many others shared in the media and on social media, indicate that the decline of NFL television ratings possibly involves much more than just the anger associated with #BoycottNFL. Did the combination of the various issues affecting the NFL brand simply create the perfect storm that has turned off television viewers?

Now that the presidential election is over and with teams playing meaningful games that will determine playoff positions, media analysts will watch closely to see if ratings rebound as the season enters its final weeks. No doubt, though, that #BoycottNFL will continue to trend.