How Much Have NFL Ratings Gone Down?

A look at the data behind the NFL’s ratings decline in 2016, including which demographics are tuning out and why.

Introduction

Though the National Football League’s (NFL) television ratings have been sliding for the past two years, this season they took a sharp and worrisome turn downward. The average audience for an NFL game on all networks is down about 10 percent through Week 6 of the 2017 regular season, according to Nielsen data. That works out to about 1.6 million fewer people watching each game on TV this year compared with last year.

Data on NFL Ratings

According to Nielsen data, NFL ratings have seen a decline in recent years. The average viewership for the 2018 regular season was 14.9 million, down 5% from the 2017 season. This decline can be attributed to a number of factors, such as the national anthem protests, the overall decline in television viewership, and cord-cutting.

2016 NFL Ratings

From 2016 to 2017, NFL viewership declined by about 10%.

2018 was a rebound year for the league, with an average of 16.5 million viewers per game, up 5% from 2017. However, that number is still down 7% from the peak in 2015.

The 2019 season saw another decline in ratings, averaging 15.8 million viewers per game, down 5% from 2018.

2017 NFL Ratings

The NFL’s television ratings dropped an average of 8 percent during the 2017 regular season, according to Nielsen data. That’s the biggest drop in a decade.

Viewership was down across all networks that broadcast NFL games, including NBC, CBS, ESPN, and Fox. The playoffs saw a slight rebound in ratings, but the Super Bowl still had the smallest audience in nine years.

There are a number of factors that could be driving the decline in NFL ratings. The league has been embroiled in controversy over players kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality. Additionally, some fans have been turned off by what they perceive as the league’s mishandling of domestic violence incidents involving players.

The declining ratings come at a time when the NFL is facing intense competition from other entertainment options. Live sporting events are no longer the only must-see TV; there is a vast array of addictive TV series available on streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu. And thanks to DVRs and on-demand viewing, fans can watch games whenever they want, without fear of missing out on anything else.

It’s also worth noting that the 2017 season was particularly competitive, with many close games and some surprising results. That may have driven some fans away because their favorite team wasn’t performing as well as they hoped.

2018 NFL Ratings

The NFL suffered a decline in ratings during the 2018 regular season, but the league’s TV partners saw increases in viewership compared to the 2017 campaign.

According to data released by Nielsen, the NFL averaged a total audience of 16.5 million viewers during the 2018 season, which represented a 5 percent decline from the 17.3 million viewers who tuned in during 2017.

However, when looking at just the live + same day ratings (which do not include DVR playback or streaming), the NFL saw a slightly smaller decline of 4 percent, averaging 14.9 million viewers in 2018 compared to 15.6 million in 2017.

While the NFL’s overall audience declined in 2018, NBC, CBS and FOX all saw increases in their average viewership compared to last season.

NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” was once again the most-watched primetime show on television, averaging 19.6 million viewers (up 1 percent from 2017). CBS’ “Thursday Night Football” also saw an increase in viewership, averaging 16.6 million viewers (up 5 percent from last year).

And FOX’s “Monday Night Football” saw its ratings increase for the second straight season, averaging 13.4 million viewers (up 2 percent from 2017).

Reasons for the Decline in Ratings

There are many reasons that could be contributing to the decline in NFL ratings. One reason could be that there is more competition now than there was in the past. There are more television networks and more cable channels, so people have more choice in what they want to watch. Another reason could be that people are just tired of the NFL.

National Anthem Protests

Since 2016, some NFL players have been kneeling during the National Anthem to protest racial injustice. Though the protests have been controversial, with some people arguing that they are disrespectful to the flag, many believe that the players are using their platform to peacefully protest social injustice.

In 2017, NFL ratings declined by about 9 percent from the previous year, and some people believe that the National Anthem protests were a contributing factor. While it is difficult to say definitively whether or not the protests caused the decline in ratings, it is clear that they were a controversial and polarizing topic during a time when ratings were already declining.

Lack of Star Power

While the NFL has certainly seen a decline in ratings this season, there are several factors that have contributed to this decline. One of the biggest factors is the lack of star power at the quarterback position. With Peyton Manning retired and Tom Brady suspended for the first four games of the season, there are simply not as many big-name quarterbacks to watch on Sundays.

In addition, several teams have struggled to find consistent success this season. The Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, and San Francisco 49ers are all near the bottom of their respective divisions and have not been very competitive in most of their games. These teams do not have many star players and their games are often uninteresting to watch.

The NFL has also been embroiled in controversy off the field this season. Players like Colin Kaepernick and Marshawn Lynch have chosen to kneel during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality, and many fans have taken offense to this protest. This has led some people to stop watching NFL games altogether.

All of these factors have contributed to a decline in NFL ratings this season, but it is worth noting that ratings are still higher than they were just a few years ago. In fact, the NFL is still far and away the most popular sport in America.

Increased Competition

One potential reason for the decline in NFL ratings is the increased competition from other sports and entertainment options. In particular, the growth of live streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime has made it easier for viewers to watch shows on their own schedule, rather than having to tune in live. This has been a major disruption for traditional television networks, which have seen their ratings for other programming decline as well.

Another factor that may be contributing to the decline in NFL ratings is the league’s decision to move more games to Thursday night. This has led to complaints from fans who feel that they are being asked to choose between two games that they would otherwise watch. Additionally, many of Thursday night’s games have been unappealing match-ups, which has likely contributed to lower ratings.

Conclusion

TV ratings for NFL games have been declining over the past few years. In the 2016 regular season, ratings were down an average of 8 percent from the 2015 season. The decline has continued into the 2017 season, with ratings falling an average of 9 percent in the first nine weeks of the season.

There are a number of factors that may be driving the decline in ratings, including competition from other sports, cord-cutting, and political divisiveness. Whatever the reasons, the decline in NFL ratings is having a major impact on television networks and advertisers.