The anti-American anthem protests have wrecked the league.
Even though the number of shameful protesters is dwindling, fan disgust hasn’t.
TV ratings are dropping, and the NFL has been unable to curb another distressing trend.
Stadium attendance is cratering even as playoff races intensify. One wonders if the self-inflicted damage to the NFL brand is irreversible.
From Breitbart:
As the nation [celebrated] Christmas Day, it looks like Santa didn’t come to fill the NFL’s empty stadiums for the league’s Week 16 games.
The NFL’s Week 16 began with an admission by the Baltimore Ravens that the mass player protests during the playing of the national anthem when the team was playing on foreign soil in Britain’s Wembley Stadium, has seriously hurt its attendance all year here at home.
The Ravens sent a letter to season-ticket holders, sponsors, and suite holders, commenting on the number of empty seats at M&T Bank Stadium and specifically citing the anthem protests as a factor causing the no-shows.
Despite last week’s mea culpa, the stadium was still practically empty for Saturday’s game. Photos of show a massive number of empty seats at M&T Bank Stadium as the Ravens took on the Indianapolis Colts. The Ravens won the points, but not the fans in a 23-16 final.
Josh Rubin on Twitter
RIP NFL @EmptySeatsPics
The tale of empty seats continued as teams kicked off for Sunday’s games, as well.
When the Los Angeles Rams traveled to Nissan Stadium to meet the Tennessee Titans, it appeared that fans were less interested in football than the NFL would have hoped. The Titans lost fans and the game in a 27-23 squeaker to the Rams.
Paul Mondesire on Twitter
@Titans Two Noo Yawkuhs Having a Great Time at the Game! #TitanUp #MostFunWins
The Cincinnati Bengals weren’t able to turn out fans at Paul Brown Stadium on the riverfront, either. The Bengals did beat the Detroit Lions, though, 26-17, though. So the day wasn’t a complete loss for the “Who Dey” crowd.
Chris Burke on Twitter
Bengals fans doing some self-reflection on this Christmas Eve.
As the Miami Dolphins battled the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, the Chiefs took the game with a final 29-13. But there were a lot of empty seats presiding over the game.
KelCon Technologies on Twitter
Ralphie from #achristmasstoryhouse is at the #ChiefsKingdom game today
And the drop in ratings has led to a loss of revenue. This is how businesses die. The NFL has a long way to go before it bottoms out, but it’s disconcerting that the league doesn’t seem to be making any efforts to stop the bleeding.
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The NFL will have a serious problem on its hands if the trend of shrinking season ticket sales continues. Stadiums half-full for marquee matchups is a bad look for the league, especially when television ratings are down as well.
And the drop in ratings has led to a loss of revenue. This is how businesses die. The NFL has a long way to go before it bottoms out, but it’s disconcerting that the league doesn’t seem to be making any efforts to stop the bleeding.