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NFL television ratings have been down. Part of the fix has to do with over-saturation and long broadcast windows due to aspects such as games in London that have early start times. (Photo by Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images)
If there’s one thing that has the attention of the sports business world, it’s around the decline in television ratings for the National Football League. With the political landscape as it is—Colin Kaepernick’s initial national anthem protest; the reaction by the public, the players, as well as President Trump, and Vice President Pence—we seem consumed as a nation over this singular aspect as the driver for the declines.
The truth is, it’s part of the dynamic, but is certainly by no means the only reason.
While there are challenges involved in them, here are solutions that would more likely than not, get the NFL’s TV ratings and viewership back up.
Lower The Number Of Games On TNF And In London
If you were to look at a list of items that has driven down the numbers, the biggest of them would be the change in the supply and demand model that the NFL has benefited from for decades. Not content with owning Sunday and Monday night, the league has expanded games into other days of the week, into other time zones, and added games streamed on social media platforms. That increased supply has lowered demand.
In early Feburary of last year, the NFL announced that for 2016 and 2017 they would increase the number of games on Thurday Night Football from eight to 10 games. Not only did they expand the total number that partner CBS would show, but added NBC to the mix while also continuing to simulcast on NFL Network. At the same time, the league has moved to late-season games on Saturday, and some additional games on NFL Network. Pull it all together, and we seem games across more days in the week.
And while there are games on more days (Sunday, Monday, Thursday, sometimes Saturday), the broadcast windows have gotten longer.
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NFL television ratings have been down. Part of the fix has to do with over-saturation and long broadcast windows due to aspects such as games in London that have early start times. (Photo by Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images)
If there’s one thing that has the attention of the sports business world, it’s around the decline in television ratings for the National Football League. With the political landscape as it is—Colin Kaepernick’s initial national anthem protest; the reaction by the public, the players, as well as President Trump, and Vice President Pence—we seem consumed as a nation over this singular aspect as the driver for the declines.
The truth is, it’s part of the dynamic, but is certainly by no means the only reason.
While there are challenges involved in them, here are solutions that would more likely than not, get the NFL’s TV ratings and viewership back up.
Lower The Number Of Games On TNF And In London
If you were to look at a list of items that has driven down the numbers, the biggest of them would be the change in the supply and demand model that the NFL has benefited from for decades. Not content with owning Sunday and Monday night, the league has expanded games into other days of the week, into other time zones, and added games streamed on social media platforms. That increased supply has lowered demand.
In early Feburary of last year, the NFL announced that for 2016 and 2017 they would increase the number of games on Thurday Night Football from eight to 10 games. Not only did they expand the total number that partner CBS would show, but added NBC to the mix while also continuing to simulcast on NFL Network. At the same time, the league has moved to late-season games on Saturday, and some additional games on NFL Network. Pull it all together, and we seem games across more days in the week.
And while there are games on more days (Sunday, Monday, Thursday, sometimes Saturday), the broadcast windows have gotten longer.