This was an awful year for the NFL.
Despite Commissioner Roger Goodell’s apparent denial over the sliding NFL ratings, you can see how bad it has gotten by TV ratings and stadium attendance.
But these new NFL ratings numbers are stunning.
Every week numbers continue to slide compared to years prior.
ESPN’sMonday Night Football’s numbers were so bad that this was the worst year since the network’s conception of the program.
And what’s bothersome is the NFL is in denial that the ratings have skid, blaming it on the disastrous hurricane season or lack of quality quarterback play.
They refuse to believe that fans have become former fans in the wake of the rampant multi-millionaire players who continue to kneel during the National Anthem.
But the evidence is everywhere that these disrespectful players are the overwhelming reason why the league is failing.
And what does the NFL’s leadership do to rectify the failing ratings?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
In the wake of them continuing to do nothing, the Wild Card weekend first round of the playoffs – the playoffs being the most exciting part of any sport – are also down.
Breitbart reported:
“Following a regular season where most NFL fans decided they had better things to do on Sunday afternoons than watch football; it appears those same fans still have better things to do on Saturdays and Sundays in the postseason.
The first round of playoffs suffered double-digit ratings drops, as the NFL begins the most important part of its calendar year, Awful Announcing reported.
Saturday’s Tennessee Titans-Kansas City Chiefs game didn’t deliver for ESPN or ABC, losing two full ratings points over last year’s game. The game drew a 14.7 overnight rating compared to last years 16.6 for the Houston Texans-L.A. Raiders game. It was the worst rating since 2012, Awful Announcing said.
Later that evening, the Atlanta Falcons-Los Angeles Rams game did only a little better, seeing a similar if not quite as bad ratings loss.
According to SportsTVRatings, the Falcons-Rams game lost 10 percent over last year’s game.
Titans/Chiefs = 14.7, down 11% from 16.6 for last year’s Texan’s Raiders (h/t @JoshACarpenter )
Falcons/Rams: 14.9, down 10% from the 16.5 for Lions-Seahawks last year (h/t @NBCSportsPR )
— Sports TV Ratings (@SportsTVRatings) January 7, 2018
Sunday’s Jacksonville Jaguars-Buffalo Bills matchup earned better ratings than the Saturday games, but it was still a 21 percent loss over the 2016 season’s game, Josh Carpenter noted.
“Fox drew a 20.4 rating yesterday for Saints-Panthers, down 21% from a 25.9 last year in same window (Giants-Packers). CBS drew a 17.2 for Jags-Bills, down 10% from last year (Steelers-Dolphins),” Carpenter wrote.
These Wild Card game ratings come after a season of some of the worst ratings in NFL history. By some estimates, the 2017 regular NFL season is down nearly 10 points from 2016.
It should be noted that the 2016 season itself saw an 8 percent tumble over the numbers from 2015; with the sports media claiming it was all due to a raucous 2016 presidential election season.
But with the 2016 election long ago decided, one wonders what their excuse is for this year.”
And you can bet that the numbers for the divisional round of the playoffs this coming weekend will also be down, despite powerhouse teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints playing on Saturday and Sunday.